Arena Community Stadium

 

A community stadium development (Arena) for AberdeenCity could be built near Loirston Loch, Cove.

 

Reports published today reveal partners investigating the possibility of creating a stadium and associated facilities in Aberdeen have made significant progress.

 

The Arena Project Team formed jointly by Aberdeen City Council and Aberdeen Football Club will present an Outline Business Case for a stadium and ask Councillors to promote Loirston as the preferred site for development.

 

Members will also be asked to give the green light for further development work on the Arena project and back in principle a joint venture as a means of delivery.

 

If built, the Arena would become home to Aberdeen Football Club, a proposed venture partner as well as lead tenant. Officers recommend a 22,000-seat stadium, potentially rising to 30,000 seats, depending on the availability of financial support from the Scottish Government.

 

Officers say sports and leisure developments, such as a community stadium, can play a major role in the successful future of both the city and region.

 

In her report to next week's Council meeting, Head of Planning and Infrastructure, Margaret Bochel, writes: "Development of the Arena Community Stadium will ensure that Aberdeen is acknowledged as a competitive, dynamic and vibrant place to live and work.

 

"The stadium could provide the opportunity to deliver objectives in the Regeneration Strategy, such as developing priority social, economic and environmental projects.

 

"Such a facility would be a major addition to the infrastructure of the city, helping increase participation in sport and encouraging a healthy lifestyle across all sectors of the community."

 

The report will go before Council on December 19.

 

Aberdeen FC's social, economic and cultural role

 

The benefits Aberdeen enjoys as a result of being home to a top division professional football club cannot be underestimated.

 

An economic impact analysis completed in 2006 determined that Aberdeen FC contributes at least £6 million per year to the local economy. The club also supports a total of 350 full time equivalent jobs.

 

Meanwhile, the Dons' community programme is recognised as the best in Scotland - having won the Community Club of the year award every year it has been judged.

 

Shell, Aberdeen City, Aberdeenshire and Moray Councils, The Scottish Football Association, Grampian Fire and Rescue Service, npower, Macdonalds and the Food Standards Agency all support the programme, demonstrating an existing successful partnership between the club, business and the public sector.

 

Pittodrie Stadium

 

Redevelopment of Pittodrie Stadium to meet future needs is not viable.

 

The pitch width and run off areas currently do not meet UEFA standards and the pitch fails to comply with International Rugby Board specifications, meaning it cannot host regular full internationals.

 

As the ground is landlocked, with the exception of the Richard Donald Stand, the best way these issues could be accommodated at the present stadium is to redevelop the Main and South stands to a smaller footprint. These stands, along with the Merkland Road end, are all in relatively poor condition and will require to be completely redeveloped over the next 5?8 years.

 

Taking all of the above into account, there would be a substantial reduction in the stadium's capacity and a major impact on corporate facilities and accommodation, reducing the club's capacity to generate revenue.

 

As the city has no alternative stadium available to Aberdeen Football Club, redevelopment would either take a number of years or require the club to play matches at a remote location - most likely Dundee or Inverness.

 

No European matches could be played within the City during this period of redevelopment and would have to be played in Central Scotland.

 

Eventually, Pittodrie would be left with a capacity of around 15,000, achieved at a cost of around £15million to the club.

 

This would preclude Aberdeen and the region from any involvement in hosting major European and international matches and the city would rule itself out of participating in the hosting of competitions such as the Rugby World Cup or the European Football Championship.

 

A redeveloped Pittodrie would also be unable to accommodate community facilities that would be a significant part of any new stadium.

 

Community Stadium model

 

A community stadium is a partnership-funded initiative that integrates sports and community facilities into a single high quality venue.

 

It should be the home to as many sports clubs and organisations as possible and provide a sport focus for the region whilst maximising the use of accommodation under stands.

 

In Aberdeen, it is suggested that any community stadium could be combined with a football academy for the North East of Scotland and complement the Regional Community Sports facility currently under development at Linksfield.

 

The case for a community stadium in Aberdeen

 

Reports due before members note that the effects of new stadia - and, in particular, community stadia - in British cities have been universally positive, providing major economic and social regeneration opportunities.

 

As with many of these projects, the Arena in Aberdeen is proposed to be much more than a sporting facility. If built, it would raise the city's profile in the eyes of potential investors; link to regeneration strategies in terms of employment, health and fitness, and enhance commercial activity.

 

The Arena also has the potential to deliver high quality architecture, adding to the cultural richness of AberdeenCity and Shire.

 

Officers say design should be of the highest quality - providing a lasting legacy for the citizens of Aberdeen and a development the city can take pride in.

 

In short, the aspiration is to create a facility that is much more than simply a football stadium and can be developed as an educational, training, social, recreational, employment and community hub in use seven days a week for the benefit of the region.

 

The venue would play a major part in further establishing the City and Shire on the national and international map.

 

The results of a City Voice questionnaire revealed overwhelming public support for a community stadium in Aberdeen. Nearly three quarters of those asked were in favour of the project.

 

Delivery

 

The current proposal has been developed in partnership with Aberdeen Football Club, which has provided 50% of all funding. It is envisaged that a joint venture between the club and Council would deliver the Arena, via a stadium management company.

 

The Arena would be home to the Dons, who would act as lead tenant. The development would also provide the opportunity for approximately 150,000 sq ft (14,000 sq m) of floor space for rent, which could include office, retail, hotel, sports, leisure and community facilities.

 

The capitalised rental from these uses would contribute to the overall cost of construction.

 

Capacity

 

The capacity of any new stadium should be sufficient to meet market demand and also allow for future growth.It is also essential that any new stadium be capable of expansion or conversion to host international events.

 

With this in mind, the outline business case has been developed on the principle of a capacity of 22,000 - in line with the present capacity at Pittodrie.

 

However, it is also recommended that the Scottish Government be approached to determine the likelihood of Scotland hosting international competition in the future.

 

If, for example, Scotland were to launch a bid to host the 2016 European Championships, it is likely that a minimum capacity of 30,000 would be required to allow Aberdeen to participate.

 

As neither the City Council or Aberdeen FC could justify the cost associated with providing 8,000 additional seats; it is suggested partners approach the Scottish Government to determine whether there is a real ambition to host such events and discuss the likelihood of contributions to fund the additional infrastructure.

 

Costs

 

The Outline Business case suggests the project could cost in the region of £53 million at today's prices - with suggested Aberdeen City Council and Aberdeen Football Club contributions at £8 million each.

 

The remaining funding could be realised through stadium revenues, development and planning gain.

 

It must be stressed, however, that these figures are indicative only. Further detailed feasibility is required to ascertain the total level of investment required to deliver the Arena, including assessment of other users and potential partners.

 

Site

 

The Arena Project Team originally looked at four potential locations - at King's Links, Bridge of Don, CalderPark and Loirston.

 

The Outline Business Case eliminates the Bridge of Don site due to existing commitment, site capacity and access issues.The CalderPark site is also eliminated due to existing power lines and pylons running along the south side of the site.

 

The sites at King's Links and Loirston remain as options, with officers recommending Loirston following a detailed comparison of planning issues, site assessment, access and deliverability.

 

Commenting on the above, AFC's Managing Director Duncan Fraser said, "There has been a huge amount of work undertaken behind the scenes by the partners in the Arena initiative in recent times, particularly in the last six months and it's a true example of a partnership working towards the greater good of the City & Shire.

 

"Now that a preferred site has been identified and a vehicle to deliver the project outlined and funding options, the hard work now begins.

 

"We look forward to working closely with the Council and other key stakeholders over the coming period, during which time there will undoubtedly be difficult decisions to make and massive challenges to be met. However the end goal here must surely be to overcome any difficulties we face and deliver a community stadium that will showcase the area as the most forward thinking in the country."

AFC will actually get none of the money - stadium assets have now been divided off into a holding company ("Talltray ltd") to help push through a new stadium development.

 

Yeah I know that, point I was making is that we can wave bye-bye to all of it forever.

Rail links, monorails, undergrounds, trams, hotels, shops, gyms, blah, blah, blah..... my arse.  I fully agree with Jager and his views that nothing other than a stadium will be built.

 

Fair enough CAPS, but i disagree. 

 

There are huge plans for up that neck of the woods - whilst we all know what can happen with planning in Aberdeen, if the stadium gets the go ahead these plans being approved will be a formality IMO. 

 

 

Yeah I know that, point I was making is that we can wave bye-bye to all of it forever.

 

We can do that anyway, irrespective of the wheres, whos and hows of the matter.

 

I have no problem with that at all, as long, as has been said, the club is run on a no/serviceable debt policy from then on.

Or a reason checker and built in argument maker.

 

Fucking bullshit stirring filter more like.

I think they should build it in Union Terrace Gardens, that area needs to be upgraded, and pubs and public transport are plentifull in the City Centre.

 

Another great idea I had was to build an 'offshore' stadium, a bit like that island in Dubai where all the wealthy folk have private beaches.  Except the 'Offshore Pittodrie' development would be shaped like a sheep, not a palm tree.

 

Cant see any problems with planning permission now we've got rid of that Ford bloke from the cooncill.

How about getting thon millionaire that was wanting to stop Trump to build the new grun on the Menie Estate?

 

That would stop Trump!

We can do that anyway, irrespective of the wheres, whos and hows of the matter.

 

I have no problem with that at all, as long, as has been said, the club is run on a no/serviceable debt policy from then on.

 

Well if the club, sorry Stewart Milne and AAM, are ready to chuck all that money away on a whim, they (Stewart Milne and AAM) could demolish and re-build the main stand for around £6m.

Well if the club, sorry Stewart Milne and AAM, are ready to chuck all that money away on a whim, they (Stewart Milne and AAM) could demolish and re-build the main stand for around £6m.

 

OK, where does the 6 mill come from? That and the lost income from a lower capacity stadium whilst it's built.

OK, where does the 6 mill come from? That and the lost income from a lower capacity stadium whilst it's built.

 

Like I say, if they're happy to chuck £5m away down the drain in the terms I mentioned in a previous post, they should be prepared to dip into their own pockets to pay for a new stand and get us out of the mess that they created in the first place.

 

With an average attendance of 12,000 anyway, there wont be that much lost income other than when Rangers come calling.

Always said just turn the current Pittodrie 45degrees, build a new stand inplace of the Main stand, only build it so it actually goes OVER Pittodrie Street. Can we demolish that old gas works? Get something in there! Get rid of the shitey carpark and make the opposition fans WALK to the ground, like we have to do against Hibs.

Like I say, if they're happy to chuck £5m away down the drain in the terms I mentioned in a previous post, they should be prepared to dip into their own pockets to pay for a new stand and get us out of the mess that they created in the first place.

 

With an average attendance of 12,000 anyway, there wont be that much lost income other than when Rangers come calling.

 

And Celtic and the cream of the second tier of Europe's teams.  

 

Meanwhile, back in reality, the money will be used to (in part) pay for the new stadium.  This argument about directors putting hands in pockets, however morally right it may be, just ain't ever going to happen.

Can we demolish that old gas works? Get something in there!

 

I think we've been beaten to that. Isn't there a need for a fishing emoticon on here?

Always said just turn the current Pittodrie 45degrees, build a new stand inplace of the Main stand, only build it so it actually goes OVER Pittodrie Street. Can we demolish that old gas works? Get something in there! Get rid of the shitey carpark and make the opposition fans WALK to the ground, like we have to do against Hibs.

Basically knock Pittodrie down and build whole new stadium in its place?  We don't have the cash for this (and would have to play in Dundee for a year or two whilst work ongoing) and building a stadium elsewhere and selling the stadium is the only answer.

How's the travel time to Cove from Dusseldorf anyway?

 

It's not a case of accepting second best. The beach area as a site does fuck all for current capacity and whatever you say parking is a nightmare on a match day. If the new stadium magically puts 5000 on the gate each week then it'll only be worse.

 

Cove is also just as likely to be more accessible for other parts of the city, what difference does it make going to Cove than Linksfield for these kids you expect to travel there on their own? Are you expecting all the street urchins to be walking there with kit on their back for using the facilities?

 

Mum drives them most places and of course Kincorth and Cove does have kids living there you know 

 

In a city that currently worships the the car, Cove is no problem at all.

 

Get it built and at the same time rewrite the constitution of the club, stating that debt is not allowed.

 

Vive la change.

 

 

Exactly Bilbo, it's the same nonsense you hear and read every time a club proposes a new stadium that isn't in the footprint of the old one. The only fans that complain about the Ricoh, Reebok, Kingston Stadium or Emirates, are those that now have further to travel, but for every fan that has further to go, another fan will be nearer, and ALL of these (pand Cove) will have better parking, so more people can actually go there easily, which can only increase the numbers attending.

 

Yes it would be nice to still be at the traditional spot, but even at the beach, it's not going to be in the Pittodrie footprint, so it won't really be "Pittodrie" will it? So given that, the " traditional" arguement goes out the window.

Parking is a nightmare.... at Pittodrie.

 

But we're talking about doing away with a golf course and the last time I looked you couldn't fit 18 holes inside a football stadium.

 

Build a big fuck off car park alongside the stadium - job done.

 

Woolies, MFI & Virgin Cinemas have all managed to do so down the beach so I'm guessing someone with the technical nous to build a stadium, might manage to steam roll a couple acres of tarmac.

It's just the driving range and first holes that are going on the plans isn;t it? There is no way whatsoever that they will get away with bulldozering a number of holes just to put car parks there. No doubt there will be some, but you'll still have the same issues as now, Pittodrie already has a car park remember.

And Celtic and the cream of the second tier of Europe's teams.  

 

Meanwhile, back in reality, the money will be used to (in part) pay for the new stadium.  This argument about directors putting hands in pockets, however morally right it may be, just ain't ever going to happen.

 

Well at the risk of being facetious, we only ever sell 17,000 tickets for Celtic games these days.

 

No, it isn't going to happen and that's the sad fact.  But another thing that wont happen is running a club on a no/serviceable debt policy.  If this is the way we are going ahead then we can prepare for some pretty bleak times on the football pitch.

Well at the risk of being facetious, we only ever sell 17,000 tickets for Celtic games these days.

 

But another thing that wont happen is running a club on a no/serviceable debt policy. 

 

Why not?

 

And we wouldn't get 17k into Pittodrie without the main stand. Would we?

I just think removing the club from the public eye is a bad move and if they're wanting a community stadium then it should be placed slap bang in the middle of it.

 

I couldn't give a toss if it's down at the beach per se but I still think it should be in town somewhere.

 

There's just nothing that beats the buzz of a big game when you're walking through town, all heading in the same direction.  You can't see the stadium then you turn the corner and BANG! there it is.

 

That'll be lost if everyone is heading out of town, via various routes stuck in the back of a car.

ST, most people never see Pittodrie, because it's at the beach, and unless you're heading down there may never see it. However the "Aberdeen Arena" would be sited prominently just off the A90, impossible to miss, and just about everyone at some point heads south of the city. 

 

YTou do realise that all of those who currently head "in the same direction" (I would have thought from West, North & South myself, but whatever) to Todders, will also now have to head in the same direction to Cove?

 

Okay, so you might be driving now, but the residents of Kincorth and Cove will be walking. It's just a different set of walkers from now.

The only fans that complain about the Ricoh, Reebok, Kingston Stadium or Emirates, are those that now have further to travel

 

Nah dinnae really agree wi' that mate. I know most of my mates are opposed to this. And I know most of my mates normally go past Cove to get to Pittodrie anyway!

 

Stickin the new stadium out in some industrial belt is gonna suck cos it's gonna be a lifeless shell wi' nae character. Basically, it's gonna be another Almondvale. Sure, the Emirates Stadium is filling faster than they can say "Highbury?". But we're nae Arsenal! We're lowly Aberdeen. I struggle to believe that we are putting 4/5000 fans off coming to the matches for the pure reason that parking is tricky! Even before traffic restrictions were enforced all over the city, our core attendance has always been around the 11-13,000 mark for the past three decades. We have little fluctuations such as European ties, fan-get-fan promos and the likes. But even when we were ruling Scotland and planting the seeds for Scottish clubs in Europe, our attendances weren't much more than they are now. And back then, it was friggin easy to park yer car near Pittodrie. I mind the bank of cars that used to park half way up the Broad Hill. Anywhere you could find a space, you'd park. Wardens weren't an issue back then.

 

Shovin a stadium in the middle of an industrialised area (that's where I'm assuming it's gonna go) is gonna put the boozers and the walkers off. You'd be surprised how many thousands of Aberdeen fans hike it to the games! Probably more than make it there by car. Unless the city make it a free or discounted ride service (whether by train or bus, who cares) to Cove, there'll be a sharp decrease in the number of regular walkers going to Aberdeen matches.

Wigan's stadium is in the midst of a shopping estate, AFC could make a killing by having a couple of boozers at the grun. Wigan have.

Why not?

 

And we wouldn't get 17k into Pittodrie without the main stand. Would we?

 

Main Stand only has 4,000 seats.

 

Why not?  For the reasons I put in my first post in this thread - we'd need to become a selling club.  Regardless of the interest on the loans, we've still been making a loss year after year for the last decade.  To become a selling club we'd need a shiny fancy new youth academy to produce top players.  Now if that is being included in the new stadium plans then great, it's just I haven't read anything about that yet.  Like I say, it seems a bit short-sighted.

Can we wait for the actual plans and details before destroying this?

 

Dear fuck, my sig has never been more apt.

Nah dinnae really agree wi' that mate. I know most of my mates are opposed to this. And I know most of my mates normally go past Cove to get to Pittodrie anyway!

 

Stickin the new stadium out in some industrial belt is gonna suck cos it's gonna be a lifeless shell wi' nae character. Basically, it's gonna be another Almondvale. Sure, the Emirates Stadium is filling faster than they can say "Highbury?". But we're nae Arsenal! We're lowly Aberdeen. I struggle to believe that we are putting 4/5000 fans off coming to the matches for the pure reason that parking is tricky! Even before traffic restrictions were enforced all over the city, our core attendance has always been around the 11-13,000 mark for the past three decades. We have little fluctuations such as European ties, fan-get-fan promos and the likes. But even when we were ruling Scotland and planting the seeds for Scottish clubs in Europe, our attendances weren't much more than they are now. And back then, it was friggin easy to park yer car near Pittodrie. I mind the bank of cars that used to park half way up the Broad Hill. Anywhere you could find a space, you'd park. Wardens weren't an issue back then.

 

Shovin a stadium in the middle of an industrialised area (that's where I'm assuming it's gonna go) is gonna put the boozers and the walkers off. You'd be surprised how many thousands of Aberdeen fans hike it to the games! Probably more than make it there by car. Unless the city make it a free or discounted ride service (whether by train or bus, who cares) to Cove, there'll be a sharp decrease in the number of regular walkers going to Aberdeen matches.

Fair enough Reekie, seriously I think they'll change their tune when it's built though. There are pros and cons to both sites, and neither bothers me one way or the other, but I'm conscious of the fact that those against are mainly saying so for selfish "I can walk to the ground"  - "I can have a pint before the game" reasons. I read this nonsense on the BW forums all the time, yet there are a number of pubs round the Reebok, and you still see thousands walking to the ground, there are also at least a couple of dozen football special double deckers to bus the old school out the the Reebok.

Can we wait for the actual plans and details before destroying this?

 

Dear fuck, my sig has never been more apt.

Main Stand only has 4,000 seats.

 

Why not?  For the reasons I put in my first post in this thread - we'd need to become a selling club.  Regardless of the interest on the loans, we've still been making a loss year after year for the last decade.  To become a selling club we'd need a shiny fancy new youth academy to produce top players.  Now if that is being included in the new stadium plans then great, it's just I haven't read anything about that yet.  Like I say, it seems a bit short-sighted.

 

When did we become a buying club?

 

No, you just seem to have lost your visionary Gregory's and put on your tight-fisted Aberdonian cunt's glasses back on!