FFP

[Villan82]

Maybe just possibly a city centre-ish site would need less parking - there's none at the Emirates - so that's a chunk of space saved. We also wouldn’t need somewhere like the Holte. The more I think about it, the more I ask what McGregor,  Ramsey and Rinder would have done.

Think it all ties in to what the ambitions of the club and the owners are really Dave.  If we are managed properly and redeveloped the North Stand to take capacity over 50,000 then I can't see why we couldn't become firmly established in the top 8 sort of positions over the next decade and a regular fixture in the Europa and Conference competitions.  If we genuinely want to take that much fabled 'next step' though and try and join the elites of English and European competition, then that clearly isn't going to be enough. 

I don’t think it would be enough, and I am thinking this is Heck’s thinking.

Yes, much better facilities in the new north stand. But that just changes the question to the Witton and what we don there.

It gets to the point where we spend enormous amounts of money on a site in - let’s be honest - a ropey area with transport infrastructure that can’t cope. Or we move to a location which is a game changer. That can only be near the city centre.

There’s a large surface car park adjacent to the Aston University campus, for example. That’d be a brilliant location. Largely in the city centre, big plot.

https://maps.app.goo.gl/eHy3DHg2xQuU7hLd8?g_st=ic

The site looks a tad smaller than where we are but I guess could be built in such a way from scratch to maximise what we do.

To me it would be odd to have built the new academy in the shadow of Villa Park and then plan to bulldoze Villa Park.

[The Edge]

Just a thought, that's sort of at a tangent, but sort of not.

Why is it again that Birmingham doesn't have any sort of underground? Is it the local geology? Or is it due to political/city planning decisions taken in the past?

If it's the latter, what would it take to build one? Even for the two-and-a-quarter miles as the crow flies from New St station to Trinity Road I realise there'd likely be little change out of a nine-figure sum, as well as the likely planning nightmare.

I think I've gone into brainstorming mode because I **really** don't want us to move from Villa Park.

The high water table myth was debunked years ago. Central Birmingham is criss crossed with tunnels. There's a tunnel between Snow Hill Station and Moor Street Station for example. It's a pure lack of interest from Central government stretching back donkeys years. In fact Birmingham is still the biggest city in Europe not to have an underground or fully integrated tram network.

[AV82EC]

If we’re hoping to become a hyper club we’d keep Villa Park to use for the Women’s team.

[Villan82]

If we’re hoping to become a hyper club we’d keep Villa Park to use for the Women’s team.

Surely we would have to sell it to finance a new site?

[ChicagoLion]

If we’re hoping to become a hyper club we’d keep Villa Park to use for the Women’s team.

Surely we would have to sell it to finance a new site?

I am not sure how much the site is worth once you take The Villa out of it.
Not much is my guess.

[The Edge]

If we’re hoping to become a hyper club we’d keep Villa Park to use for the Women’s team.

Surely we would have to sell it to finance a new site?

I am not sure how much the site is worth once you take The Villa out of it.
Not much is my guess.

When we had a tax crisis under shit shoes wasn't the land where we built the new academy valued at 4m? So by that metric the land Villa Park sits on might be worth 10m tops.

[Villan82]

I see, thanks for the clarification.

[ChicagoLion]

If we’re hoping to become a hyper club we’d keep Villa Park to use for the Women’s team.

Surely we would have to sell it to finance a new site?

I am not sure how much the site is worth once you take The Villa out of it.
Not much is my guess.

When we had a tax crisis under shit shoes wasn't the land where we built the new academy valued at 4m? So by that metric the land Villa Park sits on might be worth 10m tops.

No idea, but a lump of land in Aston that would need to be demolished in order to get another use out of it is not in my view prime real estate.

[pauliewalnuts]

The serpentine was sold for 7m in 2006. That’s probably a guide for land value. Certainly not prime by anyone’s definition.

[The Edge]

The serpentine was sold for 7m in 2006. That’s probably a guide for land value. Certainly not prime by anyone’s definition.

And that would of been perfect for a brand new stadium.

[oldhill_avfc]

There are so many reasons why expansion and a wholsale redevelopment of the current site makes sense.

We’re ASTON Villa, not Birmingham Villa and certainly not Birmingham City.  What is a club if it’s not attached to its heritage and roots?

Estimates on here suggest you need 15-20 acres.  We’ve already got most of it.  If we needed to trade it in, then we’d get virtually nothing for it.

The current site is surrounded by parkland, next to a Grade 1 listed building.  There are historic pubs and churches nearby.  The land has been used for 150 years for recreation.

There’s a motorway junction within a couple of miles, and 2 railway stations even closer.

The current site is limited by a couple of minor roads that could be bypassed or simply closed permantly.

The surrounding houses are poor quality.  The whole area would benefit from social and economic regeneration.

Virtually all the new stadia (Spurs, Wembley, even the Olympic Park) show what’s achievable.

The council is in a dire mess,  it’s a golden opportunity for a win-win for everyone.

And finally with regard to possibly needing to compulsory purchase.  This isn’t a case of treating the residents badly, more a situation of providing compensation for them moving for the greater good of the locality, the city and the wider region.

[Villan82]

Oldhill, I agree wholeheartedly with every word but I fear that's not what Mr Heck has in mind or why we cancelled our redevelopment.

Reading posts on here I think I almost resigned to the club making this decision even though as you point out we have potential at our historic home.

The original redevelopment plan was put forward as part of a new era for Aston and Witton but reading posts online a lot of people seem to think the area is beyond regeneration and we have to move (not something I agree with at all)

I'd add, just because Liverpool were scummy in how they treated locals ahead of their redevelopment does not mean any changes to residential in the area would be handled the same way they handled it

[Percy McCarthy]

If we’re hoping to become a hyper club we’d keep Villa Park to use for the Women’s team.

Surely we would have to sell it to finance a new site?

We probably would sell, but I don’t think it would put much of a dent in the cost of a new ground. And don’t forget that as a club we’ve already sold it to Nas and Wes.

[Villan82]

If we’re hoping to become a hyper club we’d keep Villa Park to use for the Women’s team.

Surely we would have to sell it to finance a new site?

We probably would sell, but I don’t think it would put much of a dent in the cost of a new ground. And don’t forget that as a club we’ve already sold it to Nas and Wes.

So let me get this right
1. Because of Villa park's location the planned redevelopment would not 'get us to where we need to be'
2. Because of this we have to build a new stadium
3. However, we won't generate any finance from selling our existing location
4. So we'd be looking at spending the guts of £800m- £1bn on a brand new stadium, bringing to the pot peanuts from the sale of Villa Park
5. And this makes more financial sense than spending £100m on a new bells nd whistles North Stand and looking to do something with the rest of Villa Park?

FFP is definitely broken if that's what we have to do! I am not an accountant but this is ridiculous. If Villa Park was like Goodison Park (falling apart) i would see the logic but we clearly have something we can work with!

[oldhill_avfc]

Oldhill, I agree wholeheartedly with every word but I fear that's not what Mr Heck has in mind or why we cancelled our redevelopment.

Reading posts on here I think I almost resigned to the club making this decision even though as you point out we have potential at our historic home.

The original redevelopment plan was put forward as part of a new era for Aston and Witton but reading posts online a lot of people seem to think the area is beyond regeneration and we have to move (not something I agree with at all)

I'd add, just because Liverpool were scummy in how they treated locals ahead of their redevelopment does not mean any changes to residential in the area would be handled the same way they handled it

I would like to believe Heck cancelled the development of only part of the ground due it not delivering what’s needed in the long run.  I don’t think it’s necessarily indicative of a lack of commitment to the site in general.