Nearly a year ago, Birmingham City announced the purchase of a 48-acre plot of land on the eastern outskirts of Birmingham for £51 million, previously known as Birmingham Wheels, and revealed plans to build a new Sports District and a super stadium.

Super stadium at the heart of a unique sports district

Knighthead, the investment firm that acquired Birmingham City Football Club in 2024, also acquired an additional 12 acres of land adjacent to the Wheels site, excluding St Andrew’s, bringing the total area to 60 acres. The Blues were inspired by the impressive Etihad campus in Manchester and plan to create a Sports District that will include a stadium, training facilities, and an academy. There are also plans for office spaces, restaurants – or as Tom Wagner calls them, eatertainment zones – and social gathering places. Knighthead intends for matchdays to be only part of the revenue from the Sports District.

Wagner wants the new stadium to be open by 2029, although he admits this is an ambitious goal. My timeline is crazy, but we would like to finish construction in the next five years, he said in April 2024. As for the Sports District, it is unlikely to open before 2029, with a more realistic timeline being the start of the next decade. While waiting for important infrastructure decisions, fans are turning to alternative forms of entertainment—sports betting has become one of the most popular choices. Explore key information and discover trusted offshore sportsbooks tailored to your needs.

Knighthead emphasizes that the stadium will be the central element of the Sports District, but other facilities will be just as important and used more frequently. Wagner showed fans a model during an Open House event in April last year, but cautioned them: Don’t get attached to this! The stadium is expected to have a capacity of around 60,000 seats – making it the largest of its kind in the Midlands and one of the top ten largest stadiums in England. This capacity will provide the Blues with more space for fans than St Andrew’s currently offers and make the venue suitable for hosting large events unrelated to football.

Wagner even suggested the idea of building a tunnel between the city center and the Sports District to address transportation issues, but interim CEO Jeremy Dale stated that this is just an idea. Tom mentioned it as a casual comment the day before, and it’s really a very cost-effective way to do it, Dale said. Tom has some really fantastic, innovative ideas. I remember when I first spoke to him about this project, he said some things that seemed impossible, but they eventually came true. Let’s say it was an idea, not a plan.

© Chris Homer

All revenue will benefit Birmingham City

Infrastructure chief Nick Smith, who will play a key role in building the new stadium, promised that fans would have a say in the design. We’ve started the master plan, and we know how some blocks might look. We certainly don’t have the same AI program that generated four or five designs that you’ve seen! Wagner assures that the Sports District will be one of a kind. It will feature a hotel with easy access and office spaces. We want this site to be used 365 days a year, says Wagner. Restaurants, pubs, mini-golf… all these places will be integrated.

Revenue from each of these facilities will go to Birmingham City. Wagner estimates that the cost of building the Sports District will range from £2 to £3 billion. It's important to note that infrastructure costs are not included in the football club’s overall financial results, such as profit and sustainability.

© Bruker (cc: by-sa)

What will happen to St Andrew’s?

The club’s current stadium underwent upgrades last summer to modernize its offerings for the 21st century. Knighthead invested in creating new spaces despite the plans for a new stadium. It is still unclear what will happen to St Andrew’s once the new stadium opens, but Wagner suggested the site could be repurposed for housing construction.

© Szymon Ostrowski

What stage is the project at?

Wagner and Dale showed local and national government officials the Wheels site in February, hoping to gain their support. The chairman of the Blues has been working closely with West Midlands Mayor Richard Parker, which resulted in a visit to Downing Street on March 12 to present their vision to Keir Starmer's team. The American and his investors are seeking guarantees of support regarding planning and transportation. Technically, the project is still in the planning phase.