Villa Park Redevelopment

[Brazilian Villain]

BBC reporting it. https://www.bbc.com/sport/football/articles/cn91e9yxd95o

Don't worry, they still managed to squeeze a Man Utd mention into the article.

[Villa Lew]

Yeah I think the capacity will eventually be over 60k, but you're probably talking about the next decade when that will happen.

[astonvilla82]

Disappointed that there is no tunnel straight to the city centre.

[VILLA MOLE]

Disappointed that there is no tunnel straight to the city centre.

MONORAIL MONORAIL MONORAIL                                 MONORAIL !!!

[chrisw1]

Yeah I think the capacity will eventually be over 60k, but you're probably talking about the next decade when that will happen.

I just don't see how we find another 10k seats.  We're never going to be able to make the Witton bigger with the houses behind.

If the new north is only adding 5k seats we really must be squeezing the pips elsewhere in the stadium to even get to 50k.

[Somniloquism]

Now it's official, I think it looks good on all the renders and reducing the impact on capacity during the season is clearly a better idea than dropping us down to 34k-ish for 18+ months.

It sounds like the station upgrade will go ahead as well (but maybe not at exactly the same time) which is great news.

It'll be interesting to see what comes after this  because if they can even out the top of the holte and expand Witton Lane you'd think we could be up around 60k but those 2 feel like massive tasks that would need a lot of support from the council, mayor and community. Hopefully the Warehouse can serve as a community space to create the goodwill we'd need.

The station upgrade is very much needed but won’t help with train capacity.

The station upgrades are more for when it is packed out to make it safer for fans with more access options and less standing packed too close to edges. They might even extend the platforms so bigger trains could be used at set times to get people back to Birmingham.

[Somniloquism]

This looks exactly what was being speculated about on here last month. Keeping the the existing seats intact and building around it. This is why they removed the cladding to look at how the old roof can be removed. This is why they were drilling exploratory holes behind the stand. Interestingly they're saying it will hold 12k which is 5k more than the current capacity of the NS and that takes the capacity up to 47,300. They're saying the ground will hold over 50k after the work so an extra 3k or so are going in elsewhere. Surely that can only mean work at the Holte End of the ground.

All the literature states double the capacity although some sources quote from 5k to 12k, not up 5k to 12k

[paul_e]

Now it's official, I think it looks good on all the renders and reducing the impact on capacity during the season is clearly a better idea than dropping us down to 34k-ish for 18+ months.

It sounds like the station upgrade will go ahead as well (but maybe not at exactly the same time) which is great news.

It'll be interesting to see what comes after this  because if they can even out the top of the holte and expand Witton Lane you'd think we could be up around 60k but those 2 feel like massive tasks that would need a lot of support from the council, mayor and community. Hopefully the Warehouse can serve as a community space to create the goodwill we'd need.

The station upgrade is very much needed but won’t help with train capacity.

The station upgrades are more for when it is packed out to make it safer for fans with more access options and less standing packed too close to edges. They might even extend the platforms so bigger trains could be used at set times to get people back to Birmingham.

I think extending the platforms is definitely going to happen.

[BC Villain]

Yeah I think the capacity will eventually be over 60k, but you're probably talking about the next decade when that will happen.

I just don't see how we find another 10k seats.  We're never going to be able to make the Witton bigger with the houses behind.

If the new north is only adding 5k seats we really must be squeezing the pips elsewhere in the stadium to even get to 50k.

Compulsory PO?  Not exactly palatable if that's the case.

[nigel]

There might be a couple of months of getting wet when they remove the roof...

It's a pragmatic way of increasing capacity - shame it won't wrap into the Trinity as per the original plans. It also looks like the new changing rooms have been binned off too.

But it avoids massive disruption.

It wouldn’t surprise me if it will be built with that in mind.
Phase 1 build new North Stand
Phase 2 wrap roof round into Trinity and Witton stands

[nordenvillain]

Now it's official, I think it looks good on all the renders and reducing the impact on capacity during the season is clearly a better idea than dropping us down to 34k-ish for 18+ months.

It sounds like the station upgrade will go ahead as well (but maybe not at exactly the same time) which is great news.

It'll be interesting to see what comes after this  because if they can even out the top of the holte and expand Witton Lane you'd think we could be up around 60k but those 2 feel like massive tasks that would need a lot of support from the council, mayor and community. Hopefully the Warehouse can serve as a community space to create the goodwill we'd need.

The station upgrade is very much needed but won’t help with train capacity.

The station upgrades are more for when it is packed out to make it safer for fans with more access options and less standing packed too close to edges. They might even extend the platforms so bigger trains could be used at set times to get people back to Birmingham.

Never mind getting people back to Birmingham, us Country dwellers want longer trains back to Tame Bridge Parkway to get us back to our Stately Homes ASAP.

[cdbearsfan]

Sounds like there may be an interlude between stadium upgrade and station completion.

An interlude lasting roughly infinity years. This is the Midlands, we aren't allowed public spending. Save it for giving Luton a new runway and Man U a fancier ground.

[bill]

Anyone would think Villa Park had never exceeded 42000 before. I grew up with crowds of up to 60000 at Villa Park. I don’t recall much chaos outside. People are very precious these days.

[LeeB]

Anyone would think Villa Park had never exceeded 42000 before. I grew up with crowds of up to 60000 at Villa Park. I don’t recall much chaos outside. People are very precious these days.

Back then there were less cars, more buses and trams, and a lot more people living in walking distance of the ground.

[usav]

The only video I've found so far is on Facebook, I assume a better format will be out soon.

https://www.facebook.com/reel/1302046544228268