Birmingham City FC has provided Brummies with a new in-depth look at how its Sports Quarter plans could drastically transform the city.
In 2024, Blues announced the purchase of a vacant 48-acre site in east Birmingham from the city council and unveiled ambitious proposals to build a new stadium.
Their wider project for a Sports Quarter around the stadium also includes proposals for a “world-class” training centre, women’s stadium, an arena and a mixed-use development with housing.
The eye-catching look of The Powerhouse stadium, with its numerous towering chimneys, was unveiled at an event last November.
There is enormous optimism among the club and political leaders in the city that the venue will help transform the Bordesley Green area into a sporting and cultural destination that attracts visitors from across the world.
On Tuesday, Birmingham City FC hosted a forum to provide an update on many aspects of the Sports Quarter plans including significant transport proposals.
The club said during the forum that it will formally lodge plans for the Sports Quarter to Birmingham City Council in March 2027.
Head of infrastructure Nick Smith said: “We visit the council every single month showing them these designs so that it’s not a surprise in March.
“What would normally take a year to determine is going to be a lot shorter.”
He added that the land was being prepared for work, “adding value to the land, and doing all the preparation, the cutting and the filling to get all the land ready, so when we get planning we can start straight away.”
“That gives us three years to build and all the contractors that we’ve spoken to believe they can build it in three.”
Smith said the stadium could be built by 2030, but would need “nice winters and summers and we need resources to arrive. Lots of things can happen, it’s a complex project.”
Smith described Adderley Park Station as a “hazard” when thousands of fans descend on it during match day.
“So we are now moving that into the Sports Quarter and building a new train station,” he said.
The new station would 12 carriages and be able to “cope with 60,000 plus people [coming] out of the stadium.”
There are also plans for a coach station that will transport fans to and from the city centre and Curzon Street Station.
It was announced last year that funding had been secured from the government for a new tram route to be built out to East Birmingham and the Sports Quarter project area.
This funding was part of a £2.4billion government boost to the West Midlands transport network, announced by the government last summer.
Those behind this ambitious project have said they want the new stadium and Sports Quarter to sit at the heart of the community and benefit residents on non-match days.
With this in mind, Smith unveiled four ‘character zones’ around the stadium. These were:
The Blues Square – Blues Club, flagship retail, food and beverage offers and The Yards – retail take over with digital projections, hanging sculptures etc.
The Market Street – The Market Hall and Street
The Terraces – green places for families, play and everyday life
The Canal – a waterside setting for evening life, with dining, drinks and cultural events that “connect to the wider city”.
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More on this story
- £50m approved for tram and station revamps
- Plans for Birmingham’s Powerhouse Stadium revealed
- Fan reactions to new football stadium revealed
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