Despite having been relegated to 3.Liga this season, Würzburger Kickers are pushing on with plans to build a new 15,000-capacity stadium on the site of their current Flyeralarm Arena home.
However, the proposals haven't gone down well with local residents who are not only unimpressed with the prospect of a new stadium, but still have objections about the existing one having fought a six year legal battle against what they call 'excessive noise and light pollution' in the area when the Kickers are at home.
The club hope the new stadium's design will appease residents by having four fully covered stands (as oppose to only the main stand at the moment) to keep crowd noise inside the ground and reduce light pollution by building a little nearer the B19 motorway. Support for the plans is there with the Würzburg city authorities giving their approval for the proposal which will also see a three-level car park for approximately 1,600 vehicles built. The current ground will also be included in the plans with the pitch becoming a playground and the main stand being converted into a garden area.
The construction costs are expected to be in the region of €40 million and whilst there's no word yet on how the development will be funded, the Kickers are currently in talks with a number of potential investors.