Breaking news- Newcastle United 60,000 St James’ Park expansion concept images have already emerged as CEO provides new update
Talks about expanding St James’ Park have resurfaced this week, following an update from Newcastle United’s chief executive, Darren Eales.
The Magpies are currently awaiting the final report on the potential expansion of St James’ Park. An initial six-month feasibility study indicated that expanding the stadium’s capacity to over 60,000 seats is a feasible option.
Eales confirmed that the club is still waiting for the final confirmation before proceeding to the next step.
“We’re waiting for the final report,” Eales stated. “I think it’s imminent. It’s complicated because our location presents challenges in terms of building, so we want to ensure we conduct a diligent process and explore all options. Once we have the report, it will be presented to ownership and we will also discuss it with the fan advisory board. Then, we will determine our next steps.”
The club’s preference has always been to expand the current stadium, which has been Newcastle’s home since its formation in 1892, but a complete rebuild has not been ruled out yet.
Any construction work to expand St James’ Park will depend on the club extending its current leasehold, which expires in 2097.
The stadium’s city-centre location, close to listed buildings and the Leazes Conservation Area, complicates expansion efforts.
While official details have not been released, concept designers have not hesitated to share their visions for a proposed expansion or rebuild.
In April, stadium concept designer and 3D animator Damián Bosio proposed three expansion suggestions on his YouTube channel, Bondibot.
One option involves expanding the Gallowgate Stand and Gallowgate West Corner to the same level as the current Milburn and Leazes Stands. This would involve building over the Strawberry Place street and onto the land above the St James’ Metro Station. To the untrained eye, this seems like the most feasible option, especially since the club purchased the Strawberry Place land last year.
The second option suggests raising the St James’ Park playing surface and moving the pitch northwest to create more space for expanding the East Stand and Gallowgate Stand. Although this would reduce capacity in the Milburn Stand and Leazes Stand, the design would expand the East and Gallowgate Stands so all four stands are of similar height. This option might not be realistic due to the properties on Leazes Terrace and the ‘right to light’ easement, which grants landowners the right to receive sunlight on their buildings. However, technological advances that allow light to pass through an expanded East Stand were considered in the feasibility study.
A complete stadium rebuild has also been considered, particularly on nearby Leazes Park. This is where some of the most intriguing concept designs come from, including a partial deconstruction of St James’ Park and a rebuild next to the current site on Leazes Park. This would allow for a new, state-of-the-art stadium to be constructed without major capacity or expansion restrictions. However, any construction in the Leazes Conservation Area would likely face significant opposition, even if an agreement were to be reached.
