Chelsea in major stadium breakthrough as they BUY 1.2 acres of land next to Stamford Bridge for £80m

CHELSEA have received a huge boost in their quest to transform Stamford Bridge into one of the world’s best stadiums.

The Premier League giants have purchased the majority of a 1.2 acre site next to Stamford Bridge from the Stoll Foundation.

Chelsea are believed to have paid around £80million to secure the land, which they won’t take possession of until 2025.

However, we reported last month how the stadium revamp was put on hold after old soldiers declared war on the plan that could leave them homeless.

The land that Chelsea wanted included the historic Sir Oswald Stoll Mansions where around 100 military veterans and war widows live and fuming vets applied for an injunction to stop the Stoll charity trustees who run the block from selling it.

However, that has proven to be unsuccessful after Stoll confirmed the sale today.

A statement from them read: “The Board of Trustees for Stoll, the leading provider of supported housing for veterans, has made a final decision, following resident consultation, to sell the majority of its Sir Oswald Stoll Mansions site in Fulham to the Chelsea FC ownership group. The sale is subject to contract with completion expected in early 2024.

“The Board of Trustees received 13 bids which were reviewed over a period of six months. Today’s announcement follows a nine week consultation with residents, the responses to which were taken into account by the Board, along with other considerations, before making its final decision.  

“The Board carefully considered refurbishing the site or rebuilding part of it, and concluded that any refurbishment would require funds that the charity simply does not currently have, and would also require current residents to leave their homes.

“The sale will enable Stoll to establish new properties which would provide higher quality, more sustainable housing with greatly improved grounds, accommodation and facilities, while also securing the long-term financial sustainability of the organisation and enhancing its services to veterans. Stoll will retain 20 flats on the Fulham site.”

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Stoll’s statement continued: “The resident consultation report clearly showed the need to enhance resident support services throughout this process, which Stoll is doing as a matter of priority.

“The charity will organise additional 1-2-1 and group meetings for residents with Stoll staff and Board of Trustees to ensure residents remain informed as the sale process proceeds.

“Residents will not have to leave their homes straight away; the offer includes a leaseback period, meaning that the land would be temporarily given back to Stoll after completion of the sale.

“This will allow the charity to support residents to move to alternative, suitable accommodation.”

The Sun revealed previously that the Blues have committed to a massive redevelopment of their current home that ended fears they would relocate to a new stadium.

American owner Boehly, who bought the Premier League outfit last year for £4.25billion, made promises to the stadium freeholder to expand the ground rather than move the club to a new location.

Now he and Clearlake have secured the land next to their ground and can start to push ahead with their plans.

PREVIOUS PLANS TO MOVE

Chelsea had appointed a committee to look at potential new locations and had considered a shock move to a 60,000-seater stadium in Earl’s Court.

A switch to Earl’s Court, where the Exhibition Centre once stood, was previously explored under Roman Abramovich with land at a premium around Stamford Bridge.

However, that idea was abandoned in 2010 when Hammersmith and Fulham Council squashed the idea.

Abramovich also looked at a potential relocation to Battersea Power Station and made a bid to buy it 2012 as he plotted to keep the building’s four chimneys as part of a design which included a 15,000 seat single-tier south stand.

But that plan ended when a Malaysian consortium bought the site for £400m.

NEW GRAND DESIGNS

Now Chelsea want to build a new 60,000-capacity ground to keep up with their rivals commercially with the new owners hoping for a staged rebuild of the Bridge, with the stands replaced and upgraded one by one.

That transformation would also see the hotel behind the Shed End bulldozed.

Architect Janet Marie Smith, who has worked on a host of stadium renovations in America, has been hired to oversee the monumental task of rebuilding Chelsea’s famous ground.

Smith’s projects include Baltimore’s Oriole Park, Atlanta’s Olympic Stadium, the Boston Red Sox’s Fenway Park and Dodger Stadium in LA.

Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk