Dundee's owner and managing director, John Nelms, discussed plans for the construction of a new stadium to replace the aging Dens Park in an interview with BBC. Last week, a new vision for the Camperdown Stadium Development was unveiled by Holmes Miller Architects.

New football complex on Scotland's map

The new Dundee stadium will encompass safe zones, activated hall zones, and LED screens. The capacity will be only slightly larger than at Dens Park: 12,500 seats, just 725 more. There are also plans to use the facility as a concert venue. Camperdown Stadium Development project goes beyond just a football stadium.

The complex will also include a multifunctional facility for 1,000 people, a brewery, a 120-room hotel, Dundee FC's training center, residential areas, and a city crematorium. Additionally, there will be new public landscape architecture, a dedicated bus terminal, a bicycle hub, and electric vehicle charging points.

© Holmes Miller Architects

Just over a year away?

The club announced that this month they will submit the essential building permit covering all the mentioned elements. Jonh Nelms announced that according to preliminary plans, construction will start in late summer or early autumn of 2024, and the first Dundee F.C. match at the new venue will take place in the summer of 2025. According to the club owner, the idea of a new stadium was already planned in 2016, but due to economic issues and the pandemic, those dreams had to be postponed.

"It's going to cost a lot; I can't say exactly how much. We are in the planning stage. It's about £10 million more than initially. Considering our investments, equity, and available facilities, we think we can make it happen," said John Nelms in an interview with BBC.

© Dundee FC

This Old Girl

"This old girl has served us well, she's been around for over 100 years," says the club owner about Dens Park. The current home ground of Dundee was opened in 1899 and has served the team and its fans ever since. The record attendance at this stadium was in 1953 during a league match between Dundee F.C. and Rangers F.C., with 43,024 people in the stands.