White Hart Lane is the current home of the Tottenham Hotspur. Photo/Wikimedia Commons
[dropcap]T[/dropcap]ottenham Hotspur will have a new home by 2018.
The North London club, after several years of speculation, delays and legal proceedings, has finally gained approval from the Department for Communities and Local Government to move forward on the Northumberland Development Project.
White Hart Lane, the current home of Tottenham Hotspur, was last renovated in 1998 and has been a staple of the club since 1899, but is currently only 13th in capacity at 36,257. The new stadium is expected to exceed 56,000 capacity, taking it to third on the list behind Manchester United’s Old Trafford (75,731) and Arsenal’s Emirates Stadium (60,338).
The project is expected to cost between £300-£400 million ($513.5 million – $684.7 million) though no final cost has been officially released.
The stadium project has had several hang ups, including attempted buy-outs of the land surrounding the current stadium and expansion of the ground and surrounding areas. With this approval, Chairman Daniel Levy can push forward on the vital portion of the expansion, including the final plans of the stadium’s layout.
Supporters have called upon the club to retain the stadium name of White Hart Lane, but the revenue that comes with naming rights may be too tempting to pass up. Only time will tell as Tottenham pushes forward.
The Barclay’s Premier League season starts up on Saturday, August 16th. Spurs open their season at Boleyn Ground against West Ham United.
