Birmingham City co-owner Tom Wagner has revealed staggering financial projections for the club's proposed new stadium, forecasting an annual windfall of £750 million for the city's economy.
A Stadium Unlike Any Other
The revolutionary 62,000-seater venue, christened The Powerhouse, was officially unveiled on Thursday afternoon by Knighthead, the club's ownership group. Designed with 12 distinctive chimneys, the stadium forms the centrepiece of a massive 135-acre Sports Quarter development.
Knighthead has allocated £1.2 billion specifically for the stadium construction, with the total complex expected to cost between £2-3 billion. The ambitious project is targeting completion by 2030, creating what Wagner describes as "a stadium unlike any other in football."
Unprecedented Accessibility Drives Revenue
The key to The Powerhouse's economic potential lies in its exceptional transport links. Wagner emphasised that once HS2 is completed, the stadium will become "the most accessible in England, for sure, and probably the most accessible in the UK and Western Europe."
"It will sit on a number of major transport lines, whether it's Great Western, HS2, the surface rail tram that will be built or the existing highway," Wagner explained during the unveiling. "It's a pretty fantastic location."
The site's connectivity will be significantly enhanced by a new tram-line and the redevelopment of Adderley Park station to accommodate eight full-size rail carts. Wagner acknowledged that without government transport funding, he would have been "a lot more sceptical about the ability to use this every day."
Global Entertainment Destination
Knighthead anticipates that tourists will travel from London and beyond to attend major events at The Powerhouse. Wagner expressed confidence that the venue will attract "the very best acts in the world" due to its innovative design and the expertise of their development team.
"My sneaking suspicion is that this is going to be used quite a bit more than any of us realise today," Wagner added. "Different types of entertainment venues, different types of acts and different forms of teams and entertainment want to come and be a part of it."
The chairman even suggested his £750 million annual projection might be conservative, stating: "My gut tells me that we'll do better than that because we keep seeing more interest in what we're doing."
When operational, The Powerhouse is expected to be the most passed stadium in Europe, meaning more people will see it daily than any other sporting venue on the continent.
