Wrexham AFC, the football club owned by Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney, has announced changes to its plans to expand Racecourse Ground. The initial plan was to build a new 5500-seat Kop Stand, but this project has been put on hold. The club is now looking to increase the temporary stand by around 700 seats.

Not enough time

As we reported earlier, Racecourse Ground is facing an ambitious redevelopment. However, ambitious projects can often be overestimated, which was also the case this time. It turns out that even the first part of the announced work on the stands will not come to fruition and the plans, for the moment, have to be changed.

The reason is the club's busy schedule. The initial plan was to extend the Kop stand to 5500 seats. A contractor for the redevelopment was appointed, which was Morgan Sindall Construction. However, construction work has not yet started. Racecourse Ground needs to be ready for League One football, which starts in early August, so work has been put on hold.

Plans are nowhere near as spectacular as they were a month ago. Wrexham has issued a statement saying it will extend the existing temporary stand to accommodate around 700 extra seats, allowing a total of 3,000 fans to cheer on the football team.

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Plans put on hold, although not abandoned

In conjunction with Wrexham Council, the club intends to make the stadium a year-round attraction, which is expected to bring economic benefits to the town. There are also plans to build a multi-storey car park, a convention centre and a hotel as part of the Wrexham Gateway project. The project has received a £25 million grant from the Welsh Government.

Wrexham Council leader Mark Pritchard expressed enthusiasm for the club's plans, highlighting their commitment to the local community. Working with key partners, the aim is to transform the stadium into a hub of activity throughout the year.

Plans for the new Kop Stand, developed by AFL Architects, also included exhibition space, a club shop and club offices. Currently, these plans are on hold, although the club has confirmed that it has preliminary agreements to purchase the necessary land.

© Mister Drone UK