Earls Court developers issue major blow to Chelsea FC stadium move hopes
Earls Court developers have poured cold water on any hopes of Chelsea building a new stadium at the 44-acre site, insisting their regeneration plans remain unchanged.
Chelsea remain locked in a stadium dilemma between redeveloping their Stamford Bridge in Fulham or relocating to another site and building a new state-of-the-art venue.
Earls Court had been earmarked as one of those potential locations, with its dimensions suitable for a new arena for Chelsea or a potential home for an NBA Europe franchise.
But the firm behind the masterplan, the Earls Court Development Company, appears to have dashed any prospect of replacing its current project with an arena.
“We have an approved masterplan, with local support, which will deliver exceptional benefits for London and the UK, bringing much needed homes, jobs and economic growth,” a spokesperson told City AM.
“There is no arena or stadium in the proposals, our focus is on getting on site to deliver the plans we have worked on for six years. We look forward to bringing the vision for Earls Court, as set out in our masterplan, to life in the coming years.”
Chelsea stadium woes
It had been hoped that Clearlake Capital’s buyout of former business partners Todd Boehly and Mark Walter, securing control of the Premier League club, might allow Chelsea to advance their stalling stadium plans.
The development, if completed as planned, will span a site between West Kensington, Earls Court and West Brompton tube stations, and feature gardens, 4,000 homes, workspaces, and 100 food and beverage outlets. The total cost is estimated to be around £10bn.
Chelsea’s previous ownership – under sanctioned oligarch Roman Abramovich – had looked at moving the club’s home to Battersea Power Station but that move was foiled by rival plans. The club had also reportedly looked at moving to England Rugby’s Allianz Stadium in Twickenham while a rebuild of their Stamford Bridge stadium took place.
City AM understands that Chelsea continue to look at the Earls Court site, and others, for their new stadium.
Added the Earls Court Development Company: “Earls Court is a site of domestic and global significance; there is no shortage of interest from organisations who want to be part of this exceptional opportunity to shape a new neighbourhood in London, bringing culture, innovation and entertainment.”
The club are yet to publicly formalise plans for their new stadium.