Ten things Coventry could build around CBS Arena after £1.6m stadium deal

Coventry City are moving closer to gaining control of another important piece of land around the Coventry Building Society Arena, potentially giving the Premier League club a much clearer route to reshape the area around its stadium.

The Sky Blues are set to pay £1.6m for council-owned Car Park C, which sits across the A444 from the CBS Arena. 

The deal is expected to be considered by Coventry City Council's cabinet on October 13, with the money being paid over 10 years to the club's charity, Sky Blues in the Community, which will use around £160,000 per year on sporting and cultural activities across Coventry. 

Crucially, there are no confirmed plans for what will be built on Car Park C. Coventry City owner Doug King has said the agreement will bring the land alongside areas already covered by the club's existing head lease and “simplify future regeneration”. 

The council has also described control of the site as an opportunity to plan for wider regeneration around the arena.

That leaves Coventry with a significant opportunity at a time when the CBS Arena is already undergoing a transformation. 

The club, arena and Legends Global announced a partnership backed by more than £15m of investment over three years, with ambitions to improve hospitality, food and drink, technology and premium spaces while making the venue a year-round destination for sport, music, exhibitions and conferences.

Here, FootballGroundGuide looks at 10 things Coventry City could build around the CBS Arena after the £1.6m stadium deal.

1. A new hotel next to the CBS Arena

A hotel is perhaps the most obvious possibility because it has already been considered for Car Park C.

Coventry City Council previously identified the site for hotel development, with a 2018 proposal envisaging a hotel of up to 150 bedrooms. The reasoning remains relevant: the CBS Arena hosts football, concerts, conferences and exhibitions, while its existing DoubleTree by Hilton has 119 bedrooms. 

A second hotel could therefore allow Coventry to accommodate more supporters, conference delegates, performers and visitors without relying entirely on accommodation elsewhere in the city.

2. A dedicated fan zone

Coventry could also use part of the land to create a permanent pre-match destination.

Rather than supporters arriving shortly before kick-off and heading straight into the CBS Arena, a large outdoor fan zone could provide food outlets, bars, screens, live entertainment and activities throughout the day.

That would fit the club's wider plans to make the arena a destination beyond football. The venue already has an East Fan Village, while the new Legends Global partnership specifically targets the wider matchday and visitor experience. 

3. A sports and leisure complex

The area could potentially support a broader sports destination rather than simply another football-related building.

Indoor five-a-side pitches, padel courts, a gym, climbing facilities or multi-sport spaces could complement the CBS Arena and provide activity throughout the week.

This would also fit the community element of the land deal, given that Sky Blues in the Community will be required to deliver sporting and cultural activities worth around £160,000 annually across Coventry for a decade.

4. An expanded conference and exhibition campus

The CBS Arena already has a significant conference and events business, making an expansion of this side of the operation another logical option.

The venue hosted 488 events between May 2025 and April 2026, with conference, exhibition and events revenue increasing for a second consecutive year. Its events business has grown by 34% over two years. 

Additional conference halls, exhibition space or flexible event facilities around Car Park C could therefore help Coventry compete for larger events without putting additional pressure on the existing arena building.

5. A new music and entertainment venue

The CBS Arena already hosts concerts, but Coventry could potentially develop a dedicated smaller music venue alongside the stadium.

That would give the site an attraction capable of operating throughout the year rather than relying solely on major stadium concerts.

The idea would also complement the £15m-plus partnership with Legends Global, which aims to bring more major music and entertainment events to the arena. 

A smaller venue could host emerging artists, comedy, esports and other live entertainment while the main arena remains available for the biggest events.

6. Restaurants and a proper stadium dining district

Food and drink could become a much bigger part of the CBS Arena experience.

The new Legends Global partnership already includes redesigned kiosks, improved food and drink and enhanced premium hospitality. It also includes a collaboration with Simon Rogan's Umbel Restaurant Group, which is set to bring a residency to the Engine Room hospitality lounge. 

The land around the stadium could take that concept further with restaurants, cafes and bars operating independently of matchdays.

That would create a destination supporters could visit before and after games, while also giving local residents a reason to visit the arena area when Coventry City are not playing.

7. A hotel and hospitality quarter

Rather than building a standalone hotel, Coventry could create a wider hospitality district linking accommodation, restaurants and the arena.

The location is particularly suited to this because Coventry Arena railway station is within walking distance of the stadium, while the site is close to Junction 3 of the M6. The CBS Arena also currently has around 2,000 on-site parking spaces. 

A properly planned hospitality quarter could therefore serve football supporters, conference delegates, concertgoers and visiting businesses.

8. A multi-storey car park and transport hub

One of the biggest questions surrounding any redevelopment will be parking and transport.

Car Park C currently serves the arena, so replacing surface parking with buildings would require Coventry to find an alternative solution.

A multi-storey car park could allow the club to retain substantial parking capacity while freeing up more land for commercial development. The site could potentially incorporate electric vehicle charging, coach parking, taxi facilities and improved pedestrian connections across the A444.

This would also complement the area's existing rail connection at Coventry Arena station.

9. A Sky Blues community and academy hub

Not every development around the CBS Arena needs to be commercial.

Coventry could create a permanent home for community sport, youth football, education and academy activities, bringing more of the club's community work into the stadium campus.

That would be particularly relevant given the structure of the £1.6m agreement. Rather than the money going directly to the council, it will support Sky Blues in the Community's sporting and cultural programmes across Coventry over the next decade. 

A community hub could include classrooms, indoor sports facilities, meeting spaces and pitches, creating a direct link between the club's Premier League status and its work across the city.

10. A mixed-use CBS Arena village

The most ambitious option would be to combine several of these ideas into one wider development.

Instead of simply replacing a car park with one building, Coventry could eventually create a mixed-use “CBS Arena village” incorporating a hotel, restaurants, leisure facilities, entertainment space, community facilities and improved public realm.

There is already a precedent for this type of thinking elsewhere in Coventry. Arena Park is a designated Major District Centre with a substantial retail and leisure offer, while the city's wider regeneration strategy has increasingly focused on mixed-use developments combining residential, retail, leisure, hospitality and public space. 

For Coventry City, the advantage would be creating an arena campus that generates activity seven days a week rather than concentrating its commercial value around football fixtures.