Bramley-Moore Dock Stadium
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Everton Stadium at Bramley-Moore Dock is an under construction
football stadium Football stadium may refer to: * A stadium used in gridiron football, association football or Australian rules football * A soccer-specific stadium Soccer-specific stadium is a term used mainly in the United States and Canada to refer to a sp ...
that will become the home ground for
Everton F.C. Everton Football Club () is an English professional association football club based in Liverpool that competes in the Premier League, the top tier of English football. The club was a founder member of the Football League in 1888 and has compe ...
Located on
Bramley-Moore Dock Bramley-Moore Dock is a semi-reclaimed land, reclaimed dock on the River Mersey in Liverpool, England, and part of the Port of Liverpool. The dock is located in the northern dock system in Liverpool's Vauxhall, Liverpool, Vauxhall area, and i ...
in
Vauxhall, Liverpool Vauxhall is an inner city district of Liverpool, Merseyside, England. It is located north of Liverpool city centre, and is bounded by Kirkdale in the north, and Everton in the east, with the docks and River Mersey running along the west side. ...
, England, it is due to open for the start of the 2024–25 season, replacing
Goodison Park Goodison Park is a football stadium in the Walton area of Liverpool, England. It has been the home stadium of Premier League club Everton F.C. since its completion in 1892. Located in a residential area 2 miles (3 km) north of Liverpool ...
. Bramley-Moore is a former commercial dock that sits behind locked gates next to a wastewater treatment plant, and it is intended that the new stadium will become the heart of a new mixed-use development in the area containing shops, housing and other venues.


Planning

Everton first played at
Goodison Park Goodison Park is a football stadium in the Walton area of Liverpool, England. It has been the home stadium of Premier League club Everton F.C. since its completion in 1892. Located in a residential area 2 miles (3 km) north of Liverpool ...
in 1892 and has been gradually updated since its construction, the most recent major development being the opening of a new stand in August 1994, which has given it an all-seater capacity of more than 40,000, but ultimately is constrained by its methods of construction and its location. In 2007, then-CEO Keith Wyness revealed that the club had spent £500,000 on repairs just to keep the steelwork of the ground up to standard, and that within ten years there was a serious possibility it may not pass safety inspections. The
Taylor Report The Hillsborough Stadium Disaster Inquiry report is the report of an inquiry which was overseen by Lord Justice Taylor, into the causes of the Hillsborough disaster in Sheffield, South Yorkshire, England, on 15 April 1989, as a result of which, ...
in 1990 required that all stadia in the Football League in Britain become all-seater, which severely curtailed Goodison Park's capacity, which had peaked at more than 78,000, to just over 40,000, and then further to its current capacity of 39,414. This lags behind nearby
Anfield Anfield is a football stadium in Anfield, Liverpool, Merseyside, England, which has a seating capacity of 53,394, making it the seventh largest football stadium in England. It has been the home of Liverpool F.C. since their formation in 1892. ...
, which has plans to expand to 62,000, but still being much lower capacity than
Old Trafford Old Trafford () is a football stadium in Old Trafford, Greater Manchester, England, and the home of Manchester United. With a capacity of 74,310 it is the largest club football stadium (and second-largest football stadium overall after Wemb ...
and various other stadia. The possibility of a move to a new stadium was first mentioned around 1996, when then chairman Peter Johnson announced plans to move Everton from Goodison Park to a new 60,000-seater stadium at a different site. By 2001, a site at King's Dock had been identified as the location for a new 55,000-seater stadium, scheduled for completion around 2005, but these plans were abandoned due to funding difficulties. Everton entered into talks with the
Knowsley Council Knowsley Metropolitan Borough Council is the local authority of the Metropolitan Borough of Knowsley in Merseyside, England. It is a metropolitan district council, one of five in Merseyside and one of 36 in the metropolitan counties of England, a ...
and
Tesco Tesco plc () is a British multinational groceries and general merchandise retailer headquartered in Welwyn Garden City, England. In 2011 it was the third-largest retailer in the world measured by gross revenues and the ninth-largest in th ...
in June 2006 over the possibility of building a new 55,000-seat stadium, expandable to over 60,000, in
Kirkby Kirkby ( ) is a town in the Metropolitan Borough of Knowsley, Merseyside, England. The town, historically in Lancashire, has a size of is north of Huyton and north-east of Liverpool. The population in 2016 was 41,495 making it the largest ...
. The plan became known as
The Kirkby Project The Kirkby Project was a proposed new football stadium in Kirkby, England for Everton. The stadium, if built, would have replaced Goodison Park as Everton's home ground. The plan originated in 2006, was the subject of a Public Inquiry in Decem ...
. The club took the unusual move of giving its supporters a say in the club's future by holding a ballot on the proposal with the results being in favour of it, 59% to 41%. Opponents to the plan included other local councils concerned by the effect of a large Tesco store being built as part of the development and a group of fans demanding that Everton should remain within the city boundaries of Liverpool. Following a public inquiry into the project, the central government rejected the proposal. Local and regional politicians attempted to put together an amended rescue plan with the Liverpool City Council calling a meeting with Everton F.C. The plan was to assess some suitable sites short listed within the city boundary. However, the amended plan was also not successful. Everton enquired into the possibility of co-financing Liverpool F.C's
Stanley Park Stadium Stanley Park was a proposed Association football, football stadium in Stanley Park, Liverpool, Stanley Park, Liverpool that if built, would have become home to Liverpool F.C., Liverpool Football Club, replacing their current stadium Anfield. The ...
, a proposed stadium plan that was scheduled to open in 2006 but was cancelled in 2012 after new owners favoured the expansion of
Anfield Anfield is a football stadium in Anfield, Liverpool, Merseyside, England, which has a seating capacity of 53,394, making it the seventh largest football stadium in England. It has been the home of Liverpool F.C. since their formation in 1892. ...
. This idea was denied by Liverpool's former co-owner
Tom Hicks Thomas Ollis Hicks Sr. (born February 7, 1946), is an American private equity investor and sports team owner living in Dallas, Texas. ''Forbes'' magazine estimated Hicks' wealth at $1 billion in 2009, but it dropped to $700 million in 2010 ...
. There was speculation at the time for a joint stadium project between the two clubs but despite these rumours, Liverpool maintained that a ground sharing situation was never on the agenda. The Liverpool City Council Regeneration and Transport Select Committee meeting on 10 February 2011 featured a proposal to open the Bootle Branch line using "Liverpool Football Club and Everton Football Club as priorities, as economic enablers of the project". This proposal would place both football clubs on a rapid transit
Merseyrail Merseyrail is a commuter rail network serving the Liverpool City Region and adjacent areas of Cheshire and Lancashire. Merseyrail operates 66 railway stations across two lines – the Northern Line and Wirral Line, which are dedicated electri ...
line that would circle the city and ease transport access. In September 2014 the club, working with the
Liverpool City Council Liverpool City Council is the governing body for the city of Liverpool in Merseyside, England. It consists of 90 councillors, three for each of the city's 30 wards. The council is currently controlled by the Labour Party and is led by Mayor ...
and
Liverpool Mutual Homes Torus (officially Torus62 Ltd, a Community Benefit Society no 7973) is a housing association in North West England. Torus is the parent organisation of Liverpool Mutual Homes, Helena Partnerships (in St Helens) and Golden Gates Housing Trust (in ...
, outlined initial plans to build a new stadium in
Walton Hall Park Walton Hall Park in Walton, Liverpool, England is a park. It was opened to the public on 18 July 1934 by King George V when he visited Liverpool to open the Queensway Tunnel. The origins of the park date back to Henry de Walton, steward of the ...
. However, those plans were later scrapped in May 2016 with the prospect of two new sites being identified for the club. At the Annual General Meeting in January 2017, the chairman, Bill Kenwright revealed that
Bramley-Moore Dock Bramley-Moore Dock is a semi-reclaimed land, reclaimed dock on the River Mersey in Liverpool, England, and part of the Port of Liverpool. The dock is located in the northern dock system in Liverpool's Vauxhall, Liverpool, Vauxhall area, and i ...
was the preferred site for the new stadium, with a new railway station and a new road being funded by the City Council. This was contingent on setting up a
Special Purpose Vehicle A special-purpose entity (SPE; or, in Europe and India, special-purpose vehicle/SPV; or, in some cases in each EU jurisdiction, FVC, financial vehicle corporation) is a legal entity (usually a limited company of some type or, sometimes, a limited ...
with Liverpool council, who would act as guarantors for the hundreds of millions in commercial loans the club planned to use to finance the construction. The choice of the Bramley-Moore Dock site was endorsed in a public consultation exercise conducted in 2018, but was met with stern criticism from
UNESCO The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization is a specialized agency of the United Nations (UN) aimed at promoting world peace and security through international cooperation in education, arts, sciences and culture. It ...
, which later removed Liverpool from
World Heritage Sites A World Heritage Site is a landmark or area with legal protection by an international convention administered by the UNESCO, United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). World Heritage Sites are designated by UNES ...
. Architect
Dan Meis Dan Meis, FAIA, RIBA (born 1961) is an American architect best known for designing sports and entertainment facilities including Staples Center, Safeco Field, Paul Brown Stadium Stadio Della Roma, and Everton FC's new Everton Stadium. He began h ...
has been charged with designing a new stadium for Everton, followed by a second stage of consultation, called ''The People's Project''. In November 2017, the club agreed to a lease with
Peel Holdings The Peel Group is a British infrastructure and property investment business, based in Manchester. In 2022, its Peel Land and Property estate extends to of buildings, and over of land and water. Peel retains minority stakes in its former ports ...
lasting 200 years, and in 2018 revealed its plans for a 52,000 seat stadium, which could be expanded to 62,000 in the future, demand permitting.


Funding

On 23 March 2017, it was announced that a deal had been agreed between
Liverpool City Council Liverpool City Council is the governing body for the city of Liverpool in Merseyside, England. It consists of 90 councillors, three for each of the city's 30 wards. The council is currently controlled by the Labour Party and is led by Mayor ...
, Everton F.C., and
Peel Holdings The Peel Group is a British infrastructure and property investment business, based in Manchester. In 2022, its Peel Land and Property estate extends to of buildings, and over of land and water. Peel retains minority stakes in its former ports ...
to acquire the dock for a new football stadium. On 31 March 2017, Liverpool City Council voted in favour of creating a
Special Purpose Vehicle A special-purpose entity (SPE; or, in Europe and India, special-purpose vehicle/SPV; or, in some cases in each EU jurisdiction, FVC, financial vehicle corporation) is a legal entity (usually a limited company of some type or, sometimes, a limited ...
company. The company was proposed with securing the funds for the stadium. The lenders would acquire a 200-year head-lease of the land from Peel, the landowners, and leasing the stadium to the SPV, which would in turn sub-lease to Everton for 40 years. The current funding model now proposed before Liverpool City Council (revealed at Everton's AGM on 9 January 2018) would be an arrangement that will see the council borrow £280m at ultra-low interest rates from the
government A government is the system or group of people governing an organized community, generally a state. In the case of its broad associative definition, government normally consists of legislature, executive, and judiciary. Government is a ...
, and then pass that loan on to the club at a profit to the city of around £7m a year over 25 years. Costs for the new stadium now escalating to an estimated £500m, would mean the club would still require to find the remaining £220m. As of June 2018 the council funding still not in place doubts were raised by Mayor Anderson if this funding model would be agreed. In July 2019, it was reported that the Club had options to fund the development from both the private and public sectors, which could include selling naming rights to a sponsor. In January 2020, it was announced that Everton have agreed a naming right deal worth £30 million with USM who already sponsors Everton's training ground, Finch Farm. The club further announced that it would enlist the help of major international banks JP Morgan and MUFG to help secure finance for the new stadium. In March 2022, Everton announced they would no longer receive a loan from Liverpool City council and had acquired alternative funding.


Proposed features

Everton's proposed new stadium is a bowl design with a proposed capacity of 52,888 and constructed of steel and glass, with the current dock being filled with reclaimed sand from the
River Mersey The River Mersey () is in North West England. Its name derives from Old English and means "boundary river", possibly referring to its having been a border between the ancient kingdoms of Mercia and Northumbria. For centuries it has formed part ...
. Similar to the
Tottenham Hotspur Stadium Tottenham Hotspur Stadium is the home of Premier League club Tottenham Hotspur in north London, replacing the club's previous ground, White Hart Lane. With a seating capacity of 62,850, it is the third-largest football stadium in England and the ...
, it is intended that there will be a 13,000-seater stand which is reportedly inspired by the "Yellow Wall" at the
Westfalenstadion Westfalenstadion (, ) is a Association football, football stadium in Dortmund, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany, which is the home of Borussia Dortmund. Officially called Signal Iduna Park for sponsorship reasons and BVB Stadion Dortmund in UEFA ...
, the stadium of
Borussia Dortmund Ballspielverein Borussia 09 e. V. Dortmund, commonly known as Borussia Dortmund (), BVB (), or simply Dortmund (), is a German professional sports club based in Dortmund, North Rhine-Westphalia. It is best known for its men's professional footb ...
. The stadium will feature an experience named 'ALL', designed to offer a wide choice of social spaces from pubs and bars and high-street style restaurants through to personal and fine-dining experiences.


Loss of Liverpool Maritime Mercantile City UNESCO World Heritage Status

Bramley-Moore Dock was within the
Liverpool Maritime Mercantile City Liverpool Maritime Mercantile City is a former UNESCO designated World Heritage Site in Liverpool, England, that comprised six locations in the city centre including the Pier Head, Albert Dock and William Brown Street, and many of the city's most ...
,
UNESCO World Heritage Site A World Heritage Site is a landmark or area with legal protection by an international convention administered by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). World Heritage Sites are designated by UNESCO for h ...
and has a number of heritage assets that are at risk or in disrepair, which Everton F.C. stated will be repaired and maintained. Despite this, in 2021, UNESCO recommended that the City lose its status, with the development at Bramley-Moore Dock being one of the reasons, along with the longstanding development of the waterfront and the wider
Liverpool Waters Liverpool Waters is a large scale £5.5bn development that has been proposed by the Peel Group in the Vauxhall area of Liverpool, Merseyside, England. The development will make use of a series of presently derelict dock spaces at Central Docks ...
project. The heritage body said the stadium "would have a completely unacceptable major adverse impact on the authenticity, integrity and outstanding universal value of the World Heritage Site." The revocation of the world heritage site status was confirmed in July 2021.Liverpool stripped of Unesco World Heritage status
''BBC News'' 21 July 2021


References

{{Portal bar, Europe, England, Association football, Architecture Everton F.C. Proposed buildings and structures in Liverpool Proposed football venues in England