[COM] Memorial Drive upgrade

[Nort]

Why can’t they upgrade the golf course and memorial drive tennis? How do the two have anything to do with each other?
Demolishing the existing tennis stadium and building a multipurpose roofed facility on the site wouldn’t have any impact on the nearby golf course which isn’t even connected to the site.

Or better yet, why don’t they build a PGA standard course in the southern/south western parklands which are derelict..
Or would that be too close for comfort for those born with a silver spoon in their mouth?

The southern parklands are flat as a pancake, maybe good for a minigolf course or putting range but not a full on golf course.

[Waewick]

I would have thought Golf could stay in the burbs to be honest.

[Jaymz]

Yeah it's only the south western block of the South parkland that is derelict these days, certainly not enough area for an 18 hole golf course, let alone of PGA standard. It does need a facelift for sure.

Although it would be perfect for a par 3, 9 hole course. Move the par 3 course from North Adelaide and then use the land as part of the new PGA course.

[A-Town]

Seriously hope they don't try and create an all in 1 tennis/basketball/rugby/soccer venue. I'd be interested to see how much this would cost, compared to two separate arenas. IMO, a 10-15k venue for tennis, basketball, netball, concerts etc like the Perth Arena should be built where the existing tennis stadium is. A 25k rectangular stadium for rugby and soccer should be built somewhere else in the city, possibly over the rail yards.

[I Follow PAFC]

Crunch time for Memorial Drive redevelopment.
TENNIS Plans for the redevelopment of the Memorial Drive showcourt are set to go before Cabinet as the State Government decides on whether to commit financially to a revamp that will allow it to bring a world class tennis tournament back to Adelaide.

Subscriber Only
https://www.adelaidenow.com.au/sport/te ... 5a56eca73d

[Mpol03]

Crunch time for Memorial Drive redevelopment.
TENNIS Plans for the redevelopment of the Memorial Drive showcourt are set to go before Cabinet as the State Government decides on whether to commit financially to a revamp that will allow it to bring a world class tennis tournament back to Adelaide.

Subscriber Only
https://www.adelaidenow.com.au/sport/te ... 5a56eca73d

Really hope this gets the green light. A multi purpose stadium would be ideal.

[SRJ]

Does anyone know the result of this meeting?

[ml69]

Who’s heard of this? It’s massive tennis news.

Australia will host a new tournament called the ATP World Team Cup to be launched in Jan 2020.

With $22M prizemoney on offer, the event is set to become the richest tournament in the world outside the four grand slams.

Group rounds will be jointly hosted by Sydney, Brisbane and Perth, with the finals to also be played in Sydney.

This is a huge opportunity for Adelaide to get back on the tennis calendar as part of this major event. I’m sure organisers would be delighted to host a group round in Adelaide provided we had a new state of the art arena at Memorial Drive.

In fact, if anything, an Adelaide round would be incredibly popular with players and visiting spectators alike, being in the middle of the CBD and not 15km away in the suburbs like the Sydney and Brisbane tennis arenas.

Marshall government .... see the potential of this and get board with a new Memorial Drive arena!

https://www.sportingnews.com/au/amp/ten ... s4pkyamkbv

[Brucetiki]

Who’s heard of this? It’s massive tennis news.

Australia will host a new tournament called the ATP World Team Cup to be launched in Jan 2020.

With $22M prizemoney on offer, the event is set to become the richest tournament in the world outside the four grand slams.

Group rounds will be jointly hosted by Sydney, Brisbane and Perth, with the finals to also be played in Sydney.

This is a huge opportunity for Adelaide to get back on the tennis calendar as part of this major event. I’m sure organisers would be delighted to host a group round in Adelaide provided we had a new state of the art arena at Memorial Drive.

In fact, if anything, an Adelaide round would be incredibly popular with players and visiting spectators alike, being in the middle of the CBD and not 15km away in the suburbs like the Sydney and Brisbane tennis arenas.

Marshall government .... see the potential of this and get board with a new Memorial Drive arena!

https://www.sportingnews.com/au/amp/ten ... s4pkyamkbv

Had a bit of attention lately - mainly because of the Ken Rosewall Arena upgrades for the final, and the fact the comp will replace a number of lead up events next year.

Looks like it's been us and Perth for the event - this is the first report that's specifically said Perth has got the nod. Other reports say we're likely to get it, but one would assume that's subject to a new arena (I'd go as far as to say the event will be held at the Entertainment Centre, not Memorial Drive, while the new arena is built).

Now of course, if the Marshall government pussyfoots around with the new arena, the ATP will simply give the event to Perth, which will replace the Hopman Cup. If that happens, that'll leave a gap for an additional WTA tournament in the lead up to the Australian Open, which could come here regardless of redevelopment.

Either way, I think the WTC can finally be put out of it's misery - which has become so farcical, they didn't even have linesmen for the matches this year.

[omada]

What's the cost benefit analysis of spending $$$ on a facility that is only really used once per year. Surely it doesn't really stack up. Unless of course its a multi purpose arena.

[ml69]

What's the cost benefit analysis of spending $$$ on a facility that is only really used once per year. Surely it doesn't really stack up. Unless of course its a multi purpose arena.

Agreed tennis only won’t stack up. Talking about a multipurpose arena.

[arki]

Memorial Drive stadium to receive new roof in $10 million upgrade
Memorial Drive Tennis Centre will be covered with a new roof as part of a $10 million upgrade that will boost its chances of hosting more international events.

The 5000-capacity venue – which today hosts the Davis Cup tie between Australia and Bosnia/Herzegovina – will be covered by a canopy by the end of the year, according to the State Government.

The upgrade will allow year-round use of Memorial Drive, including for concerts, community events and other sports, such as netball and basketball.

Sports Minister Corey Wingard said the roof would turn Memorial Drive into a “live-site”, capable of screening sports matches played at neighbouring Adelaide Oval.

“The roof will also allow for the year-round training of the state’s tennis talent and for use by community groups who are able to access Memorial Drive,” Mr Wingard said yesterday.

The canopy will be fully funded by taxpayers. Cox Architecture, which was behind Adelaide Oval’s redevelopment, has produced designs for the upgrade.


The proposed canopy over Memorial Drive.

Memorial Drive Tennis Club as it stands now. Picture: Scott Barbour/Getty Images
A Government spokesman said a construction tender would be put out immediately, with work to start as early as next month.

The project will create the first covered tennis courts in Adelaide.

The State Government would not comment on whether the redevelopment would lead to South Australia landing the rights to host a major international tennis tournament next year.

The global tennis calendar has recently undergone a wholesale shake-up, with Sydney set to host a new 24-nation tournament – the ATP Cup – in January 2020.

That provides an opportunity for Adelaide to take over the Sydney International tournament. Alternatively, South Australia might host a leg of the ATP Cup.

However, the revamped Memorial Drive would likely compete against Western Australia and its 14,800-capacity Perth Arena for one or both of those events.

In order to attract a major tournament, Memorial Drive would be required to host up to 500 tennis officials, players and their entourages.

Premier Steven Marshall said yesterday the upgrade would increase Adelaide’s chances of securing major tournaments.

“This significant investment serves up an ace for Adelaide and South Australia,’’ Mr Marshall said.

“Not only will it advantage our growing $6.9 billion visitor economy and create jobs, it will put Memorial Drive firmly in the box seat to attract future world-class events.

“My Government is committed to investing in infrastructure projects that stimulate the economy, grow local jobs and leave a positive legacy for future generations.”


John Millman during the Davis Cup qualifiers on Friday. Picture: Scott Barbour/Getty Images
Australia’s Davis Cup captain Lleyton Hewitt last year argued for a major upgrade of Memorial Drive to propel Adelaide back on to the world tennis stage.

Adelaide has a proud history of producing top tennis players and coaches, including Hewitt, Darren Cahill, John Fitzgerald and doubles king Mark Woodforde. Woodforde said losing the long-running Adelaide International tournament to Brisbane (and its purpose-built Tennyson Tennis Centre) in 2009 left him in a state of despair.

“For me, it was about trying to maintain the bloodline in SA because SA had contributed so much to Australian tennis history,” Woodforde said.

“I would like to believe there is a connection to having the tournament (and developing talent).

“SA was going to go back to the dark ages again, being a second-class player-producing mill.

“I wanted to keep tennis alive in our state, we fought for so long to be known as a tennis-producing state.

“I didn’t want that to disappear. I still don’t.”

Last year, the Federal Government funded a $10 million revamp of tennis facilities at Next Gen Health Club, next to Memorial Drive.

That included a sunken court that can accommodate 500 spectators and double as a training/show court for events at Memorial Drive.

It also included 36 new or upgraded courts and a clay court centre of excellence.

The NSW Government last month announced a $50 million upgrade of the Ken Rosewall Arena, which was pivotal to Sydney being granted the rights for the ATP Cup. That project will also include a canopy over the arena.

Cheap and tacky.

I guess this means the new venue won't be happening for at least another decade.

[Mpol03]

Again.
No fucking vision.

[kymbosa]

Memorial Drive stadium to receive new roof in $10 million upgrade

Cheap and tacky.

I guess this means the new venue won't be happening for at least another decade.

100% agree. And think back 12mths when Chris Pyne was promoting the liberal plan for the this. Enclosed and done right.

Than come along the cheap and tacky state liberals, this roof is as good as the one way Sexy.

This should be enclosed to accommodate basketball, netball, tennis and anything else. Part paid by the sale of the basketball dome at Findon.

[Stryker]

After my experience at the Davis Cup yesterday the place needs bulldozing and starting again.

“The Memorial Drive Tennis Centre is to receive a new roof as a part of a $10 million upgrade”... All I can say is that I hope the $10 million is going to cover a hell of a lot more than just a roof because the facilities for patrons are a joke. The Northern Stand in particular. Surely you’d enclose the eastern and western ends if you were going to upgrade the place anyway?