Hearts to begin work on new 7,000-capacity stand in autumn


It will take Tynecastle’s capacity to over 20,000 and is part of a wider redevelopment which owner Ann Budge hopes will regenerate the Gorgie/Dalry area.
She is also seeking to develop the area beneath the Wheatfield Stand and construct a new artificial pitch for community use behind that stand.
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Hide AdThe old Tynecastle main stand was designed by the renowned stadium architect Archibald Leitch but is now 101 years old and lacks the facilities required of a modern stadium.
The new stand will house 7,000 supporters and incorporate new hospitality suites, offices, club shop and ticket office.
Budge said: “This exciting project involves far more than just building a new stand… it is about revitalising the entire stadium and indeed regenerating the wider Gorgie/Dalry area. The centre piece will be a visually-dramatic new main stand that will replace our 101 year-old Archibald Leitch-designed stand and help create a totally new look to McLeod Street, which will blend in with the new Tynecastle High School.
“Our wide-ranging plans also include developing the under-croft in the Wheatfield Stand and, in conjunction with NB Distillers, evaluating the construction of a new 3G pitch for community use behind the Wheatfield Stand. At the heart of it all will be a magnificent new main stand with a capacity of over 7000 seats, all of which will have a superb view of the pitch.
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Hide Ad“The result will be a modern stadium boasting a ground capacity in excess of 20,000.”
Budge said that designs for the new stand are close to completion and Hearts will soon submit a pre-application notice to the council’s planning department. This will be followed by a public consultation process and the eventual submission of a detailed planning application eight weeks later.
Budge added in a statement on the club’s website: “All going well, preparatory work should start in autumn of this year, with a view to having the new stand available for early in the 2017/18 season.
“This is a very tight timescale but I am hopeful that with lots of hard work and co-operation this can be achieved.”
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Hide Adynecastle’s capacity will be signficanly reduced while the work is being done and Budge appealed for fans to be patient.
A separate planning application for the development of the under-croft of the Wheatfield Stand
has already been submitted.