With a short timeline and a large budget, Luton Town have started the process of renovating their home stadium, Kenilworth Road, to prepare for Premier League action.

With their incredible run to promotion via the playoffs, Luton Town now face another tall task: completing significant renovations to “the Kenny” just to become eligible to host Premier League games for the 2023-24 season.

Along the Main Stand.

The required renovations are expected to cost between £10-12 million ($3-15 million) and take around 11-12 weeks to complete. Because of the extended length of time for these renovations, Luton Town will be hard-pressed to get them done before their home opener, currently set for August 19 vs Burnley.

Groundhopper Paul has been to a game at Kenilworth Road, and here’s what he had to say:

I cannot tell you how much I love Kenilworth Road. I have often wondered what football was like in its black and white days, before any real money came into the game and mostly men, most of them old, gathered at the ground to barely survive a game of football. If you are also curious about those days, you can visit them just a little north of Luton!

Read his whole report here.

The Main Stand at Luton Town’s Kenilworth Road

Changes at Kenilworth Road

The changes required by the Premier League are not so much related to the exterior or appearance of the stadium, but rather their ability to handle press, commentary teams, and even VAR equipment.

Kenilworth Road’s current media room allows for 29 members of the press, while the Premier League is requiring room for 70 press members, plus an additional 50 for members of international media. Luton Town will also have to make adjustments concerning available space for TV and radio commentators, along with space for 7 sideline commentators. The Bobbers Stand is set to be demolished and replaced by a temporary stand to make room for these required changes.

Paul’s obstructed view. The stand in the distance will be replaced for the 2023-24 season.

The good news for Luton Town is that they meet the minimum requirements for capacity at Kenilworth Road; that is 5,000 or more, and Kenilworth Road has a current capacity of 10,356. However, they will still need to completely reinstall the VAR system, and significantly upgrade their lighting system around the ground, prior to the start of the Premier League season.

Luton Town will also break ground on a completely new stadium, Power Court, towards the end of 2023 with a target completion date in 2026. The new stadium will be the center-piece for a regeneration effort of the 20-acre area surrounding the Luton Railway Station – an even more central site than that of Kenilworth Road. Preliminary plans show a capacity of 19,500, with around a third being safe-standing. Depending on demand, a secondary phase could be implemented adding an additional 4,000 safe-standing seats.