https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/...rivate-funding-for-new-500m-stadium-zb6h28pqz
thursday october 25 2018
Everton set to pursue private funding for new £500m stadium
Paul Joyce, Northern Football Correspondent
October 25 2018, 12:01am, The Times
Bramley Moore Dock is the proposed site of Everton’s new stadiumPETER BYRNE/PA WIRE
Everton appear increasingly likely to pursue private finance to fund the building of a £500 million new stadium on the banks of the River Mersey with the state-of-the-art arena unlikely to open before 2023-24.
A planning application is set to be submitted in the second half of 2019 with a three-year build mapping out the timescale for the project at Bramley Moore Dock.
It comes with public consultation into the proposals, which would regenerate north Liverpool and create a community-led legacy at their existing Goodison Park home, set to begin in November.
Everton have been offered a deal to pay for a chunk of the venture, which would see Liverpool City Council apply for a £220 million loan from the government’s Public Works Loan Board. The club would repay that in full in addition to annual interest payments of £7 million to the council.
However, the Everton deputy chairman, Keith Harris, is leading the search for private money which is viewed as a cleaner, less politically sensitive option.
No final design has been approved for the stadium and the exact capacity, whether low to mid-50,000 or higher, is still being debated.
Everton believe moving to the venue, which sits within a World Heritage site, is crucial for the club’s future and, rather than rushing the process, are working upon ensuring there are no hiccups after two failed ground move projects already this millenium.
The consultation, which comes under the campaign name, “The People’s Project,” begins a formal process which will lead to the submission of planning applications for Bramley Moore and Goodison Park in a year’s time.
Denise Barrett-Baxendale, the Everton CEO, has been in New York this week attending meetings with the stadium architect Dan Mei and said: “This consultation marks a very significant moment as we progress with this project. We would like as many people as possible — and not just football fans — to take part and let us know their views.
A second public consultation will be held next summer, at which point Everton will present the proposed design of the stadium and further details on its Goodison Park legacy plans.