November 27 – Everton may not be able to lock-in a new manager but they have secured a lease for the dockside land where they will build their new stadium.
Everton Stadium Development Ltd, a subsidiary of the club, signed a 200-year lease with with Peel Land and Property to lease part of Bramley Moore Dock. The lease is contingent on securing planning permission and funding to build the new ground.
Robert Elstone, chief executive of Everton, said that the lease was key to the next level of planning. “Gaining control of the site was essential for us to be able to move forward with the next stages of the project – finalising the funding agreement with the council and preparing for the submission of a planning application – both of which we hope to do in the new year,” he said.
A report by commercial real estate CBRE has estimated that the new stadium will deliver a £1 billion boost for the local economy and create more than 15,000 jobs.
The stadium will be part of the larger Liverpool Waters development that will include leisure facilities, retail and residential.
Planning permissions have already been granted for Princes Dock and Central Dock, including plans for a new cruise terminal and a number of residential developments. The stadium is seen as being a catalyst for more investment and jobs.
During the construction phase more than 12,000 jobs will be created and will contribute £255 million locally.
Everton are looking to build a stadium of 50-55,000 capacity, with an opening date aimed for the 2021/22 season. Construction could begin in 2018 assuming finance and planning are all in place. The stadium was originally planned to be the centrepiece of Liverpool’s 2022 Commonwealth games bid that was scuppered when Birmingham became the England’s preferred venue.
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