Jeremy Dale lifts lid on huge Birmingham City Sports Quarter tour and Tom Wagner 'idea'
The decision makers who visited the site of Birmingham City’s proposed Sports Quarter were left feeling ‘inspired’ according to interim chief executive Jeremy Dale.
Knighthead co-founder and Blues chairman Tom Wagner gave government officials a guided tour of the 60-acre site they hope to build a Sports Quarter within. Business and Trade secretary Jonathan Reynolds also showed up to learn about Wagner’s plans.
The American investment firm intends to build a facility which houses a state-of-the-art stadium, academy and training centres for its men and women’s teams, as well as office space, entertainment areas and a hotel.
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Discussing the meeting, CEO Dale said: “It’s no secret that (on Wednesday) we hosted about 60 people who were from the council, the West Midlands combined authority and various departments for transport. They came in and we talked to them about where we were at and the requirements for transport. We took them to the Wheels site and showed them where the stadium is going to be built, with a fabulous view across our great city, and they all left inspired about the vision of it.
“There is some support around transport because there’s no point building a stadium for 60 to 70 thousand people if they can’t get out of the stadium. That is what Tom has been talking to them about.
“In the afternoon the secretary of state came and saw everything. He was very supportive of the overall project.”
Transport has been Wagner’s main concern and he has called on the government to help him find a solution. The site, formerly home to Birmingham Wheels, is roughly one mile from the city centre.
Wagner has suggested building a tunnel but Dale insists that is more an idea than a plan. Dale added: “Tom said as a throwaway comment the day before about the idea of a tunnel and actually it’s a very cost effective way of doing it.
“Tom has some fabulously innovative ideas. I remember when I first talked to him about this project, he said some things and I was thinking that it was never going to happen, but then they have. Let’s just say, I think it was an idea rather than a plan.”
