- June 9, 2025
- Posted by: SportsV
- Categories: Event News, Featured Articles, Features, Home News, Industry News, News, Press Releases
Knighthead Capital Management, LLC, on behalf of certain of its affiliates (Knighthead) welcomes the West Midlands Mayor’s confirmation that the Chancellor’s multi-billion-pound investment in the region’s transport infrastructure will support the vital metro extension to Birmingham’s Sports Quarter.
Speaking at St Andrew’s @ Knighthead Park, ahead of the government’s Spending Review, the Chancellor reaffirmed that £2.4 billion will be given to the West Midlands Combined Authority to improve transport infrastructure in the region. West Midlands Mayor, Richard Parker, has committed to using this funding to build a Metro extension from Birmingham City Centre to East Birmingham – unlocking the future of the Sports Quarter development.
With this critical infrastructure in place, it is estimated the construction of the Sports Quarter will create 10,000 jobs, 1,000 of these as apprenticeships for local residents. It is expected to then support over 8,000, full time equivalent jobs once fully operational, helping to transform an area with a 14% unemployment rate.
The proposed Sports Quarter development includes plans for a new multi-use stadium, high performance training facilities and other mixed-use real estate featuring a range of entertainment options. New economic figures from Knighthead indicate that the Sports Quarter may add £450m annually into Birmingham’s economy by 2035.
The 2025 SVB LIVE Conference & Exhibition is being held at Villa Park in Birmingham, UK, on October 6-7th, with an Opening Night Icebreaker on October 5th at either bp pulse LIVE or Utilita Arena Birmingham, with the SVB LIVE Awards taking place at St. Andrew’s @ Knighthead Park on the evening of October 7th.
Tom Wagner, Knighthead Co-CEO and Birmingham City Chairman, said:
“The Chancellor’s undertaking to upgrade transport links in East Birmingham is a huge step forward for the Sports Quarter. It gives us the springboard we need to advance this transformative project at pace, bringing huge benefits to the people of East Birmingham and the wider region in the shape of jobs and opportunities, as well as economic growth that will be felt across the whole of the UK.”
Jeremy Dale, Interim CEO of Birmingham City, said:
“Birmingham City Football Club has a long heritage of contributing to our local community. The investment confirmed today by Richard Parker will allow us to take this to the next level – creating jobs, building infrastructure for our local community, and creating a world-class sporting venue that will put Birmingham on the map.”
SVB LIVE events focus on elevating the live experience through architecture & design, commercialisation, customer journey, fan & premium/VIP experience, hospitality, interiors & fit-out, sustainability and technology.
Check out the latest sports and entertainment venue development data from across the globe in the exclusive, subscription-only, SVB Global Report here.
