davieG Posted 6 April 2012 Posted 6 April 2012 Merc Leicester Tigers hope to build a hotel at Welford Road in time for the 2015 rugby world cup. The stadium has been included as a possible venue for pool matches when the tournament comes to England. An artist's impression of Tigers' hotel plan • • The club hopes it can have a four-star, 140- room hotel built on the old Granby Halls site by the start of the tournament. Tigers were originally granted permission for an ambitious scheme to build the hotel, medical buildings, 144 student flats and a post-graduate centre in 2009, but the project has been delayed by the recession. Earlier this week planning permission was granted for the wedge-shaped site to the north of the stadium to continue to be used as a car park until 2013, but the club says it is still committed to the long-term project as part of the ground's multi-million redevelopment. Simon Cohen, the club's chief executive officer, admitted that the project "had slipped", saying that the financial situation in the past few years had made it much harder to borrow money for major projects. However, he said: "The prospect of hosting world cup games is very exciting and a hotel, particularly, would be a key part of the package of what we would like to be able to offer. "Where we stand at the moment it is realistic, though there is the chance there could be some slippage. The other elements are also important because we want a development which is beneficial to the Tigers but also the wider community." The club has completed its redevelopment of the Caterpillar Stand and hopes to eventually increase capacity on the other three sides of the ground, as well as developing a multi-storey car park. At the time the ground redevelopment was unveiled, it was described as a £100 million project but Mr Cohen said that figure no longer applied. He said: "Until we get a little bit further along with the plan it is impossible to determine the exact costs. "Professional rugby is a fast-changing game and supporters are always going to ask for better and better facilities. "We want to meet that requirement. "Other clubs are looking to improve with some major developments – you only have to look a little bit south to Northampton, who are planning a new stand. "We want to stay ahead as a club." Mr Cohen said this season's LV=Cup win would help generate cash, but not enough to make a major contribution to the cost of the project. He said: "Winning a cup creates a feelgood factor around the club and that helps attract sponsorship and supporters which brings in revenue, but it does not specifically help with the finances needed for the development." The Granby Halls site is owned by Leicester City Council, and city mayor Sir Peter Soulsby said he was pleased with the Tigers' commitment to the scheme. He said: "They have to focus on getting things up and running and the 2015 Rugby World Cup is a date they can work towards. "The car park that we have at present is useful, but there is huge potential to replace it with something good for the city and good for Tigers," Sir Peter added.
Webbo Posted 6 April 2012 Posted 6 April 2012 We;ve had quite a few new hotels built in Leicester in the last 10/15 years. Do we really need all these rooms?
davieG Posted 6 April 2012 Author Posted 6 April 2012 Perhaps they're to be a back up in case we run out of student accommodation.
Finnegan Posted 6 April 2012 Posted 6 April 2012 We;ve had quite a few new hotels built in Leicester in the last 10/15 years. Do we really need all these rooms? It's not about what the city needs it's about what the club needs, they're doing it for themselves. But surely having an extra source of legitimate income for one of the city's biggest (and certainly it's most successful) sports clubs can only be a good thing? Especially at a time when rugby union in the UK is struggling a little financially. As far as I'm aware this will be done with their own money on their own land and will provide job opportunities both to local tradesmen building it and local people staffing it so what's the problem? Edit: Sorry, I overlooked that the council currently own the plot - but surely they'd either be having to buy it or lease it which is then extra revenue for the city as well? Win win, surely? Or am I being exceptionally naive?
Finnegan Posted 6 April 2012 Posted 6 April 2012 Shouldn't they finish the stadium first? The stadium is essentially "finished." There are plans to expand the remaining stands to match what they currently have but it's obviously in workable order at present as one of the biggest rugby union stadia in the country.
Webbo Posted 6 April 2012 Posted 6 April 2012 It's not about what the city needs it's about what the club needs, they're doing it for themselves. But surely having an extra source of legitimate income for one of the city's biggest (and certainly it's most successful) sports clubs can only be a good thing? Especially at a time when rugby union in the UK is struggling a little financially. As far as I'm aware this will be done with their own money on their own land and will provide job opportunities both to local tradesmen building it and local people staffing it so what's the problem? Edit: Sorry, I overlooked that the council currently own the plot - but surely they'd either be having to buy it or lease it which is then extra revenue for the city as well? Win win, surely? Or am I being exceptionally naive? I'm all for investment and profit but I'm just questioning the demand for more hotel rooms. They won't make a bean if they can't rent out the rooms.
jonthefox Posted 6 April 2012 Posted 6 April 2012 Maybe we could take a leaf out of tigers book.Didn't I read somewhere the Thais were buying the holiday inn?.
Out Foxed Posted 6 April 2012 Posted 6 April 2012 Perhaps they're to be a back up in case we run out of student accommodation. haha. yeah we definitely need more of that.
Finnegan Posted 6 April 2012 Posted 6 April 2012 I'm all for investment and profit but I'm just questioning the demand for more hotel rooms. They won't make a bean if they can't rent out the rooms. Clearly a Tigers hotel right next to the stadium isn't going to struggle to get business compared to some Travel Lodge or Holiday Inn.
Saxondale Posted 6 April 2012 Posted 6 April 2012 I'm sure they'll have assessed the feasibility carefully. My hunch is that it may be a vanity project as much as a business project. But that's up to them.
Recommended Posts
Archived
This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.