Casement Park in line for major overhaul - 40,000 all seater Stadium.

[Baile Brigín 2]

Update from Ulster GAA

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/articles/c1evz7y7jw4o

Management speak doggerel

[tonto1888]

Update from Ulster GAA

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/articles/c1evz7y7jw4o

Believe it when I see it

[Baile Brigín 2]

Update from Ulster GAA

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/articles/c1evz7y7jw4o

Believe it when I see it

All he actually said was they are going to start demolition. Surely even they can pull that off?

[seafoid]

https://www.rte.ie/sport/hurling/2026/0107/1551912-casement-development-hopes-rise-after-funding-boost/

The long-awaited redevelopment of Casement Park has received two boosts as the complex project looks set to progress significantly this year.

Northern Ireland's Executive on Tuesday signalled its intention to reflect inflationary pressures in additional funding for Casement Park and in doing so unveiled a draft budget which includes an extra £40m (€46m) for the redevelopment of the Belfast venue, though the budget proposals are subject to further consideration.

Meanwhile, writing in his annual report, Ulster GAA CEO Brian McAvoy stated that 2026 would be the year when "it appears that we will finally be entering the delivery phase" of Casement Park.

The delays in rolling out the stadium, which last hosted a game 13 years ago, have been many and varied.

Initial planning permission for a 38,000-capacity stadium was subsequently overturned by judicial review in 2014.

In 2021, permission was then granted for an arena catering for 34,500 people, but subsequent inflation increases have driven the project from its initial cost of £78.5m to an estimated £260m last year.

Along the way, Casement Park missed out on the prospect of being a host venue for Euro 2028.

Confirmed funding thus far includes £62.5m from Stormont, Croke Park (£15m) and the Irish Government (£42m).

The UK Government has pledged £50m and yesterday Stormont Finance Minister John O'Dowd proposed additional funding of £46m to reflect inflationary pressures.

Minister O'Dowd said his draft multi-year budget would allow Stormont departments to plan longer-term spending.

The plan has not yet been agreed by the other executive parties.

[tonto1888]

Update from Ulster GAA

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/articles/c1evz7y7jw4o

Believe it when I see it

All he actually said was they are going to start demolition. Surely even they can pull that off?

I hope you're right but we shall see

[twohands!!!]

https://www.rte.ie/sport/hurling/2026/0107/1551912-casement-development-hopes-rise-after-funding-boost/

The long-awaited redevelopment of Casement Park has received two boosts as the complex project looks set to progress significantly this year.

Northern Ireland's Executive on Tuesday signalled its intention to reflect inflationary pressures in additional funding for Casement Park and in doing so unveiled a draft budget which includes an extra £40m (€46m) for the redevelopment of the Belfast venue, though the budget proposals are subject to further consideration.

Meanwhile, writing in his annual report, Ulster GAA CEO Brian McAvoy stated that 2026 would be the year when "it appears that we will finally be entering the delivery phase" of Casement Park.

The delays in rolling out the stadium, which last hosted a game 13 years ago, have been many and varied.

Initial planning permission for a 38,000-capacity stadium was subsequently overturned by judicial review in 2014.

In 2021, permission was then granted for an arena catering for 34,500 people, but subsequent inflation increases have driven the project from its initial cost of £78.5m to an estimated £260m last year.

Along the way, Casement Park missed out on the prospect of being a host venue for Euro 2028.

Confirmed funding thus far includes £62.5m from Stormont, Croke Park (£15m) and the Irish Government (£42m).

The UK Government has pledged £50m and yesterday Stormont Finance Minister John O'Dowd proposed additional funding of £46m to reflect inflationary pressures.

Minister O'Dowd said his draft multi-year budget would allow Stormont departments to plan longer-term spending.

The plan has not yet been agreed by the other executive parties.

If O'Dowd's proposal get through (and assuming it is for the full £46 million extra and not a smaller amount due to politics) that still leaves a gap of £44.5 million to last year's estimated cost of £260 million.

I'd be gobsmacked if they managed to get any extra cash out of Dublin or London - really don't think the inflation arguement is going to get any play there when that money was only pledged so recently compared to the orginial pledge of the Stormont money.

So best case that leaves a £44.5 million hole in the budget for the current plan.

I can't see any possibility of the Ulster Council being able to get the cash together to bridge that gap (even with loans) so it looks like this the reality is that this project is still dead in the water on the finance front.

I suspect the ground clearance will likely go ahead but it's really just a sideshow to help run out the clock on the planning permission expiring.

The big question looks to be what sort of a stadium can be built for £215.5 million (assuming O'Dowd manages to get the extra £46 million approved)

I know some have mooted the idea of buiding some part of the stadium and "finishing" it down the line. However everything I've read about stadium construction suggests this would add signifiantly to the total cost. Also I'd be very afraid given the history of this project that it would never get finished.

Even related to this I'm nearly sure that the reason demolition wasn't started sooner was because someone said it would be cheaper and more efficient to complete the demolition and construction all as one.  My cycnical side is wondering how much extra will be added to the cost in the fairly likely case that demolition is completed and then things come to a halt while the whole planning process for another new version of the stadium is completed. Overall it continues to be a disaster of a project.

[seafoid]

https://www.rte.ie/sport/hurling/2026/0107/1551912-casement-development-hopes-rise-after-funding-boost/

The long-awaited redevelopment of Casement Park has received two boosts as the complex project looks set to progress significantly this year.

Northern Ireland's Executive on Tuesday signalled its intention to reflect inflationary pressures in additional funding for Casement Park and in doing so unveiled a draft budget which includes an extra £40m (€46m) for the redevelopment of the Belfast venue, though the budget proposals are subject to further consideration.

Meanwhile, writing in his annual report, Ulster GAA CEO Brian McAvoy stated that 2026 would be the year when "it appears that we will finally be entering the delivery phase" of Casement Park.

The delays in rolling out the stadium, which last hosted a game 13 years ago, have been many and varied.

Initial planning permission for a 38,000-capacity stadium was subsequently overturned by judicial review in 2014.

In 2021, permission was then granted for an arena catering for 34,500 people, but subsequent inflation increases have driven the project from its initial cost of £78.5m to an estimated £260m last year.

Along the way, Casement Park missed out on the prospect of being a host venue for Euro 2028.

Confirmed funding thus far includes £62.5m from Stormont, Croke Park (£15m) and the Irish Government (£42m).

The UK Government has pledged £50m and yesterday Stormont Finance Minister John O'Dowd proposed additional funding of £46m to reflect inflationary pressures.

Minister O'Dowd said his draft multi-year budget would allow Stormont departments to plan longer-term spending.

The plan has not yet been agreed by the other executive parties.

If O'Dowd's proposal get through (and assuming it is for the full £46 million extra and not a smaller amount due to politics) that still leaves a gap of £44.5 million to last year's estimated cost of £260 million.

I'd be gobsmacked if they managed to get any extra cash out of Dublin or London - really don't think the inflation arguement is going to get any play there when that money was only pledged so recently compared to the orginial pledge of the Stormont money.

So best case that leaves a £44.5 million hole in the budget for the current plan.

I can't see any possibility of the Ulster Council being able to get the cash together to bridge that gap (even with loans) so it looks like this the reality is that this project is still dead in the water on the finance front.

I suspect the ground clearance will likely go ahead but it's really just a sideshow to help run out the clock on the planning permission expiring.

The big question looks to be what sort of a stadium can be built for £215.5 million (assuming O'Dowd manages to get the extra £46 million approved)

I know some have mooted the idea of buiding some part of the stadium and "finishing" it down the line. However everything I've read about stadium construction suggests this would add signifiantly to the total cost. Also I'd be very afraid given the history of this project that it would never get finished.

Even related to this I'm nearly sure that the reason demolition wasn't started sooner was because someone said it would be cheaper and more efficient to complete the demolition and construction all as one.  My cycnical side is wondering how much extra will be added to the cost in the fairly likely case that demolition is completed and then things come to a halt while the whole planning process for another new version of the stadium is completed. Overall it continues to be a disaster of a project.

£215m would build a decent stadium.

[Armagh18]

If they can't build a serious stadium with £215 million then theres something wrong ffs

[bannside]

Two Hands - you are a doom and gloom merchant if ever I saw one!!

Go build whatever is possible for the new budget once that is finalised.

Anything North of the Athletic Grounds would be more than ample.

Plush seating and Catering for blazers and corporates a bonus omly if it can be afforded.

[JPGJOHNNYG]

If they can't build a serious stadium with £215 million then theres something wrong ffs

Exactly this.

I have posted before about various German stadia built recently to good spec with similar capacity for a lot less than 215 million and you can't tell me the costs would be much cheaper there.

[Armagh18]

If they can't build a serious stadium with £215 million then theres something wrong ffs

Exactly this.

I have posted before about various German stadia built recently to good spec with similar capacity for a lot less than 215 million and you can't tell me the costs would be much cheaper there.

Doubt Germany will have spent as much on bullshit "consultancy" and whatever else will undoubtedly be pissed up the wall here, same as the A5 disaster

[MrsBinfield]

Two Hands - you are a doom and gloom merchant if ever I saw one!!

Go build whatever is possible for the new budget once that is finalised.

Anything North of the Athletic Grounds would be more than ample.

Plush seating and Catering for blazers and corporates a bonus omly if it can be afforded.

Strange perspective.

I think the working presumption is that these seats pay for themselves and add to the viability of stadia. At the expense, in terms of space, of the ordinary punter but not in any other sense. They are not so much an optional add-on but rather a somewhat regrettable must-have.

[Tony Baloney]

Two Hands - you are a doom and gloom merchant if ever I saw one!!

Go build whatever is possible for the new budget once that is finalised.

Anything North of the Athletic Grounds would be more than ample.

Plush seating and Catering for blazers and corporates a bonus omly if it can be afforded.

Strange perspective.

I think the working presumption is that these seats pay for themselves and add to the viability of stadia. At the expense, in terms of space, of the ordinary punter but not in any other sense. They are not so much an optional add-on but rather a somewhat regrettable must-have.

Really? They don't pay for themselves when the "blazers" and back-skappers use the corporate area to invite their mates or suppliers to their business as a wee perk, without putting their hand in their pocket. Anyone familiar with the old Casement will remember the big gate being cracked open when mates of the staff rocked up. It needs to be run properly as a business and not a boys club.

[Dougal Maguire]

Two Hands - you are a doom and gloom merchant if ever I saw one!!

Go build whatever is possible for the new budget once that is finalised.

Anything North of the Athletic Grounds would be more than ample.
MRS BINFIELD MRS BINFIELD
Plush seating and Catering for blazers and corporates a bonus omly if it can be afforded.

Strange perspective.

I think the working presumption is that these seats pay for themselves and add to the viability of stadia. At the expense, in terms of space, of the ordinary punter but not in any other sense. They are not so much an optional add-on but rather a somewhat regrettable must-have.

[marty34]

Two Hands - you are a doom and gloom merchant if ever I saw one!!

Go build whatever is possible for the new budget once that is finalised.

Anything North of the Athletic Grounds would be more than ample.

Plush seating and Catering for blazers and corporates a bonus omly if it can be afforded.

Strange perspective.

I think the working presumption is that these seats pay for themselves and add to the viability of stadia. At the expense, in terms of space, of the ordinary punter but not in any other sense. They are not so much an optional add-on but rather a somewhat regrettable must-have.

Yeah, they'll need a good secrion of plush seats and boxes for the concerts. Bringing in revenue.

But yeah, over £200m should get you something decent.  Seems so simple.

Can a company be brought in from overseas to do it?

Will prices of materials ever drop in price or will they continue to go up?