BDP behind Vegas style casino in Manchester

Architect firm BDP is reportedly behind plans to build a £500m Las Vegas-of-the-north next to Manchester City's Eastlands football ground.

According to Architects Journal, neither BDP nor the football club denied the story but said Manchester City Council mentioned that the discussions did not take place.

Eddie Smith, chief executive of New East Manchester, the urban regeneration company, has made no secret of a forthcoming major announcement for the area around the Manchester City stadium with the Abu Dhabi owners.

Proposals would see the Premier League club's billionaire Arab owner Sheikh Mansour buy the stadium and the surrounding land to build a massive entertainment and leisure centre, which, according to AJ, could include a theme park, luxury hotels and a casino.

The site had been earmarked for the country's first super casino, designed by Ian Simpson Architects, but the proposals were scrapped in February 2008 in an early move by Gordon Brown after he became Prime Minister. It is believed that Simpson was also in the running for the new scheme.

Manchester City FC has also made no secret about its plans to expand the ground's current 48,000 capacity to nearer 60,000.