Originally Posted by
Stupie82
I have kept every quiet on this over last few months and dare say it has been talked to death on here already, but what are the alternatives here.
We are moaning about the lack of facilities around the new ground, but in the unlikelihood that we are going to pay city centre land prices, this will be the case with any location we move to. We are told Pittodrie is too expensive to maintain in its current state and would cost too much to redevelop, plus planning would also have to get through loads of red tape, so moving is IMO the only sensible option.
Building the same stadium we plan to at Kingsford anywhere near the city centre, will cost even more money. Planning applications of that size near a city centre location will unlikely get approval from the Councillors, that’s a fact and it would cost the club a fortune too. Commercial land rates in Aberdeen are very high and we would need a multi acre site to host such a development, so the costs will be astronomical. The Shires commercial land rates are lower, with less red tape on sites on the outskirts of towns, hence why it is being explored by the club.
Like a lot of people, Im not overly happy with everything about this Aurora project, particularly the potential debt, but knowing the in’s and out’s of Planning at a local government body, I can assure you that its likely the best and cheapest option on the table at the present time. Other sites explored were Blackdog and a site not too far from Portlethen, but they weren’t seen as desirable by the council from the get-go.
We either get behind the project, or spend many more years at a crumbling stadium with more money being wasted on fixing a wreck, chasing new stadium locations and getting planning applications through.
I myself cant see any other option.