"Birmingham City unveiled plans Thursday to build a 62,000-seat stadium that would put the second-division club and city on a "trajectory towards greatness" in a project costing at least £2.5 billion ($3.2 billion). The Championship team, which counts NFL great Tom Brady as a minority shareholder and U.S. financier Tom Wagner as chairman, said the venue would be the "beating heart" of Birmingham."
""Together we are putting the city and the club on trajectory towards greatness," Wagner said at the unveiling at Digbeth Loc Studios in Birmingham. It would be a "beacon of excellence for Birmingham on the global stage," he added. The stadium's price tag would be £1.2 billion ($1.5 billion), Wagner said. Other costs are related to infrastructure upgrades. A promotional video to unveil the plans included Brady and former Birmingham City player Jude Bellingham."
"Brady said fans are "in for a blast" and that the stadium would attract the "biggest music stars." Birmingham currently plays in the second tier of English soccer. But the stadium plans point to the owners' ambitions. They were last in the Premier League in 2011, the same year they won the English League Cup -- one of two major trophies the club has captured in its 150-year history. The stadium was designed by Heatherwick Studio in collaboration with Manica Architecture."
Birmingham City plans a 62,000-seat Birmingham City Powerhouse Stadium at Bordesley Park, East Birmingham, targeting the 2030-31 season. The design includes 12 giant chimneys and was created by Heatherwick Studio in collaboration with Manica Architecture. The stadium construction cost is £1.2 billion, with total project spending of at least £2.5 billion once infrastructure upgrades are included. Tom Wagner serves as chairman and Tom Brady is a minority shareholder; both appear in promotional material alongside Jude Bellingham. The owners describe the venue as the city's "beating heart" and a beacon to raise the club and city's global profile. Birmingham currently plays in the second tier and last appeared in the Premier League in 2011.
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