[Official Site] £55m Plans would be Significant Boost

PUBLISHED
10:51 10th October 2013
Albion chief executive Paul Barber has explained how plans for a new hotel and student accommodation at Falmer could add a significant boost to the club’s on-pitch ambitions.
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Director Martin Perry and the club’s project team have produced outline plans for a £55m investment in two development projects: a 120-room hotel on the stadium site and accommodation for up to 850 students on land close to the BACA Academy.
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Barber said, “We are constantly looking at ways we can continue to grow the club, its revenue streams and ways to help progress our ambition of the Albion playing at the top level – and Martin and his team have put together outline plans for the two developments.”
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Perry added, “This would be a fantastic boost for the club, the area and the whole city. We’re still at an early stage and we have to prove the financial viability of the proposals, but if it goes ahead this plan represents another huge inward investment into the City of Brighton and Hove.
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*“It will help us develop our revenue streams while helping to reduce the desperate demand on the housing stock in this city.
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“The two developments will also create more than 200 jobs and take the club’s investment in Sussex to more than £200m.”
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On October 17th city councillors will be asked to give the green light to officers to begin negotiations to lease the land to the club, who will then have to apply for planning permission and prove that the scheme is economically viable and have a positive impact on the area.
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The club are hopeful that they can prove the feasibility of both projects and Barber added, “These developments will have a huge impact on the local economy, but will also help the club face the economic challenges of Financial Fair Play.
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“They will provide us with additional extra income streams and having the hotel on site will really benefit our conferencing, banqueting and events business.
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“Being able to accommodate guests overnight is a key factor in this business sector, and this would enable us to significantly strengthen and build our non-matchday events revenue through the stadium.
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"Just as we want build our fan base, we also aim to attract new business in this way, because the stronger our revenue streams, the more competitive we can be in the transfer market and ultimately on the pitch.
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“The more creative we are and the more we look to build these types additional revenues, the less we have to keep relying on our loyal supporters.
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"Our fans have been incredible in understanding and embracing the challenge of FFP; and as part of our commitment to the fans, we are doing everything we can to maximise extra revenues and keep our cost base as efficient as possible."




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