Leicester City have revealed plans to add another 8,000 seats to the King Power Stadium and build a new hotel and indoor arena.
The Premiership club has been considering plans for a significant redevelopment of their home ground for several years.
Now they have confirmed that they want to extend the East Stand to take capacity up to 40,000.
It comes after a major investment in the club’s hospitality areas around five years ago and following the opening of a £100 million training ground in north Leicestershire at the start of this year.
The club has been investing in taking on the Big 6 teams in recent years, winning the FA Cup last season and gaining places in the Europa League after finishing fifth in the Premier league for the past two years.
The expansion project is not limited to the stadium itself after Leicester’s Thai owns revealed they want to build an indoor arena and a 220-room hotel on the site as part of their project to make the ground and surrounding area a “365-day destination”.
Details of the stadium expansion and site redevelopment will be shared next month, when the club launches a public consultation.
Work on the training ground at Seagrave, near Loughborough, and the impact of the pandemic had slowed progress on the stadium plans.
Most Read
An apartment block, multi-storey car park, a new megastore, and club and commercial office space are also on the agenda.
Much of the new infrastructure is expected to be built on the land behind the East Stand, with the club having recently purchased the Eon building on the corner of Raw Dykes Road and Aylestone Road.
Two years ago, City conducted market research for their plans and sent out questionnaires to season-ticket holders.
Supporters will again be involved in public consultations taking place from next month and through into the autumn, alongside local business and local communities.
City chairman Aiyawatt ‘Top’ Srivaddhanaprabha said: “The unveiling of these plans represents a significant milestone in the long history of Leicester City Football Club, and one that we hope will continue to put our supporters and our community at the heart of its long-term future.
“Through the consultation with our fans, our local community, businesses and stakeholders, we hope to achieve something that we can all be proud of for years to come. It’s these conversations that will help us communicate our vision to the people at its heart and take on-board the views of our community to help shape it.
“While this vision is in its early stages, I know the prospect of additional capacity for more Leicester City supporters in King Power Stadium, has long been anticipated by us all, particularly after seven near sold-out Premier League seasons.
Don’t miss
“The plans to build on the club’s recent growth – with a stadium expansion as part of an exciting wider site development – is a wonderful demonstration of the shared ambition of both the football club and the city of Leicester.
“It is a project with the potential to generate enormous social value, starting with a substantial number of additional jobs for people in the region. We will be working with our partners and contractors to ensure this is a central consideration from construction through to long-term operation.”
City mayor Sir Peter Soulsby said: “These are ambitious plans that reflect the club’s ongoing commitment to the city and constant desire to build on its incredible achievements.
“LCFC has always been at the heart of our city, but thanks to the vision of the greatly-missed Khun Vichai, and his son Khun Top, it is now an integral part of our community that contributes to city life in so many ways.
“There is obviously a great deal of consultation to be done, including through the planning process, but these are really exciting proposals. The development would be very good news for the city as well as for the club, creating new jobs and a sought-after destination for visitors, locals and tourists.”