The Sunday Times reported that the proposal is one of a series of options being discussed between Brian Barwick, the FA’s chief executive, and Quintain Estates, a quoted property company that already controls a 66-acre development site around the stadium.
The FA and Quintain are considering sharing various future income streams. The developer would help run the stadium and in return the FA could have a stake in the redevelopment of the surrounding area.
The rebuilding of the 90,000 seat Wembley Stadium has been dogged by disputes and delays and the talks between the FA and Quintain are also seen as an attempt to resolve the fierce conflict between Multiplex, the stadium’s Australian contractor, and Wembley National Stadium (WNSL), a subsidiary set up by the FA to oversee the project.
The Sunday Times reports that Multiplex may be given a role in the broader Wembley area construction project as a means of settling the current legal dispute which has led to the company counter-suing after being hit with a £15 million claim for late completion.
Quintain is headed by chief executive Adrian Wyatt and has a market value of £905m. It is now one of Britain’s most active developers and its other high-profile regeneration projects include London’s Millennium Dome, where it is part of a consortium.
* England’s women’s football team could be among the first to play at Wembley after securing their qualification for next year’s FIFA Women’s World Cup finals in China.
