[COM] Adelaide Oval Redevelopment

[silverscreen]

Mattblack - Hate to rain on your parade, but is that your idea of a CBA? - "$billions & $billions". Too vague for me.

[Pikey]

Time for a break me thinks.

This thread had turned, yet again, into drivel, slander and crap.

No PMs whinging about it being locked. It's having a couple of week holiday, ok?

[Pants]

Adelaide Oval masterplan revealed
Jesper Fjeldstad and Brad Crouch

FROM parking to high-tech ticketing, the full $535 million Adelaide Oval masterplan is finally revealed in documents released to the Sunday Mail.

Crucial parking, heritage and parklands issues appear to have been resolved in the finalised Adelaide Oval masterplan.

The plan, which is being shown to the State Government and other key stakeholders, is ready to be used as part of a final offensive to secure the essential "yes" vote of South Australian Cricket Association members in early May, allowing the $535 million development to go ahead.

New figures have been released by the Adelaide Oval Stadium Management Authority to the Sunday Mail that estimate the redevelopment will generate a $111 million annual increase in spending in the CBD.

Commissioned by the SMA, the South Australian Centre for Economic Studies report predicts the Oval project will create 405 full-time jobs and generate $72 million in extra spending every year within the CBD as well as an additional $39 million in flow-on spending.

Features of the new Oval masterplan released to the Sunday Mail include:

SPECTATORS will be brought into the city from new suburban public transport hubs with half of Oval spectators expected to use public transport.

TECHNOLOGY will underpin the spectator experience with mobile or smart phones used for ticketing, to track available parking and even to order food and drinks once inside the ground.

A NEW online interactive 3D stadium site will allow fans to book their tickets after previewing the view from available seats.

TRAFFIC restrictions will be in place on game days with War Memorial Drive turned into a pedestrian-only space and King William Rd restricted to public transport.

SIX KEY carparking areas identified in the Oval precinct, including a new 400-space underground park beneath a new eastern stand, no high-rise parking to be built in the parklands and 7000 parking spaces identified within 750m of the Oval.

HERITAGE will be respected, with the Victor Richardson gates to be preserved and given prominence with a new eastern stand or possibly as an archway for patrons approaching the ground. Creswell Gardens will be retained and upgraded.

SACA MEMBERS will have 24,000 seats allocated for cricket and 17,000 for former AAMI Stadium footy members, all in the western and southern stands.

A "FEDERATION SQUARE" concourse south of the ground will have giant screens and be used year-round as a public space.

The masterplan and economic report will be sent to SACA's 20,000 members within days, as part of the SMA's bid to get the required 75 per cent vote to allow the project to go ahead.

SANFL and SMA chief Leigh Whicker called the oval project a "once-in-a-generation opportunity".

"And we are planning a stadium for the next generation," he said. "People may talk about putting things off but this is our one golden opportunity to build a state-of-the-art stadium that will be so much more than just a sports arena - we have to grasp it.

"This will create a vibrant focus of Adelaide with football and cricket as the driving force."

Mr Whicker said the plan must proceed because AAMI Stadium was now "trashed" as a major football venue.

"There's no going back," he said. "And the damage that's been done to the brand is irreversible."

Mr Whicker said it was hoped the new Adelaide Oval would be finished by mid-2014. Football games would then be split between AAMI Stadium and Adelaide Oval in the 2014 season.

The SMA believes its masterplan solves carparking issues, seen as one of the key challenges of the redevelopment. Concerns that multi-storey parking would be proposed in the parklands have been quashed under the plan.

Existing parking in the parklands - the Oval's northern car park off Pennington Tce, and at Pinky Flat - have been identified in the 7000-odd spaces counted within 750m of the Oval. The SMA also will negotiate with Adelaide City Council about a new parking area on vacant industrial land near the Morphett St bridge.

The SMA wants the Oval redevelopment to become a "catalyst" for rejuvenating public transport across Adelaide, so up to 50 per cent of spectators will travel by alternative transport, up from the current 22 per cent at AAMI Stadium.

Talks have begun with key local councils in the city's east, west and north to create nine suburban drop zones where fans will park and catch buses and trains into the city. Those talks will extend to police to ensure adequate security. The SMA is also working with Rod Hook, of the State Government's Office of Major Projects, to develop a city transport plan.

Mr Whicker said the SMA would fund improvements to the parklands to cope with the increased traffic.

"We understand our responsibility to keep the parkland in pristine condition and preserve its heritage," Mr Whicker said.

"We have allowed $5 million to improve drainage, protect the trees and improve patron safety through better lighting. We want to continue the unique tradition in Adelaide of tailgating so the patrons can enjoy a barbecue before the game in this special setting."

SMA executive and SACA chief executive John Harnden will now take the revised plans to members and stakeholders as SACA prepares for the historic vote.

"We are finalising a document so that we can go out and sell the benefits in a road show, go out to people and do a presentation," he said.

"It really, truly is world class. This, seriously, will be the best stadium in the country."

---

ABSOLUTELY EVERYTHING

YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT THE NEW OVAL:




FINANCE

The planned Adelaide Oval redevelopment will generate a $111 million annual increase in economic activity and see almost an extra one million people flooding into the city for sports events.*

The project is expected to create 405 full-time jobs and generate $72 million in extra spending a year within the stadium and CBD but this will come at the cost of about $50 million being lost from spending at West Lakes.

The conclusion was based on the upgraded oval increasing attendances by 972,000 people each year, based on:

AFL attendances growing to 802,000 a season a 107,000 increase over AAMI Stadium attendances.

CRICKET crowds growing by 65,000 a year.

OTHER events such as rugby, soccer and concerts increasing attendances by 105,000 people.

Total annual attendances at Adelaide Oval would increase from 399,000 to 1.371 million, largely from football fans.

The report assumes Port Adelaide games at the Oval will draw average attendances of more than 30,000 fans, while Crows games would draw more than 42,000.

It also assumes cricket would draw 45,000 fans a day to one-day internationals and Twenty20 games, compared to 35,000 without the redevelopment.

*The South Australian Centre for Economic Studies

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TECHNOLOGY

Smart phone technology will help create the ultimate sports experience at Adelaide Oval.

Fans will be able to buy tickets to games on their phone and also use their phone as their entry pass rather than having paper tickets.

The "gee whiz" factor also will allow people to use their phones to check how many car parking spots are available at any time at city car parks, book a specific car park spot, check if there are seats available at dining rooms in the stadium and order food.

A new online 3D version of the new stadium will let fans buy tickets. At the site, users will be able to see a virtual view from all seats as they decide which ticketed seat they want.

Game-day crowds will also be able to use their smart phones to watch match-related videos, interviews, updates and alerts as part of their stadium experience.

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THE PRECINCT

Adelaide Oval will be more than just a sporting venue under the Stadium Management Authority's vision it will be the centre for big events and festivals, much like Melbourne's Federation Square.

The vast entry concourse outside the southern stand will include giant screens to broadcast major events such as World Cup soccer matches, the Olympics, major swimming events and cultural shows, turning the precinct into a seven-day a week entertainment area rather than just a game-day showpiece.

The plaza complete with food outlets will complement plans by Adelaide Casino and the Adelaide Convention Centre to upgrade the opposite riverbank, turning the Torrens area into a vibrant, pedestrian-friendly area.

The footbridge across the Torrens will link the Oval plaza to the Festival Centre Plaza and surrounds.

The northern mound will remain, along with the historic scoreboard, gracious trees and famous cathedral view. New amenities will be positioned behind the hill including toilets, food outlets and a bar.

Creswell Gardens will be given landscaping improvements.

The Victor Richardson Gates will be preserved, either in the eastern stand or repositioned on a walkway in the Creswell Gardens.

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INSIDE THE ARENA

While corporate clients are well catered for, the over-riding emphasis is looking after the so-called meat pie and hot dog fans.

Among the facilities for the ground are:

A BARBECUE terrace for general admission ticketholders on the northern side of the eastern stand, near the scoreboard.

LIFTS to the top of all stands, a rarity in Australian stadiums.

AN area in the eastern stand, where spectators can mingle, such as a proposed Barossa room displaying local wine and a barista bar.

A VIEWING gallery to watch the Crows and Port Adelaide go through their warm-ups in the rooms.

AN ELEVATED concourse where fans

can walk around the ground without losing sight of the game, much like at Etihad Stadium in Melbourne. It will be 10m wide.

CITY and ground views from a function room that can host as many as 3000 people standing up or 1000 sitting down.

NEW bars for members.

STADIUM members during the football (formerly AAMI Stadium members) and SACA members for the cricket will have seats in the western and southern stands. There will be allocated and non-allocated seats for Crows and Power members in the eastern stand.

General admission seats are expected to be in the southern stand, eastern stand and northern stand.

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TRANSPORT and parking

The Stadium Management Authority believes moving football to the Oval will revolutionise the use of public transport in SA.

It expects up to 50 per cent of patrons to use bus and rail services for blockbuster matches. Currently, 22 per cent of footy fans take public transport to AAMI Stadium.

The SMA is now in talks with local councils to create nine "park and ride" areas, that will be used in the west, north, south and Hills to bring fans to the city.

It is envisaged the cost of a fare would be included in the price of admission tickets, as with the current Footy Express bus service.

"Our proposal is that you drive your car to the station, there are security guards there for the duration of the event," SMA chief executive Leigh Whicker said. "So you're safe all the way to the stadium and with that approach and we're engaging all of the local councils to get them on board it will give government an opportunity to rebrand public transport."

On big match days King William Rd, outside the stadium, will open only for public transport. War Memorial Drive also would be closed to ease congestion, with Morphett St being the main car access to the precinct.

The SMA has identified six key parking areas in the stadium precinct: north of the stadium, Adelaide Oval No.2, a new car park under the eastern stand, Pinky Flat near the River Torrens, the Festival Centre Plaza and an unused piece of land near the Morphett St bridge.

The Pinky Flat site is subject to negotiations with Adelaide City Council.

The six sites will deliver 3800 parks in the immediate Adelaide Oval precinct and 7000 within 750m of the ground.

It not only outstrips the supply at West Lakes but also compares favourably with the MCG, which has 4000 car parks available in the parklands around the stadium in Melbourne for a capacity crowd of 100,000.

[AtD]

On big match days King William Rd, outside the stadium, will open only for public transport. War Memorial Drive also would be closed to ease congestion, with Morphett St being the main car access to the precinct.

I wasn't expecting that! I'll be impressed if it actually happens.

Hopefully people's attitudes towards public transport will begin to shift, as well as people's "car is king" mentality.

[stumpjumper]

Part of the reason for the renewed push by the SMA for acceptance of the 'eastern grandstand' may be that the problem of fully funding the project has been resolved.

There has been an issue of where to find, on top of the $535 million cap, the money to fund the carparking and any blowout. Figures of between $100 million and $200 million extra have been talked about - perhaps coming from a private investor or a PPP.

The white knight appears to be Skycity, operator of the Adelaide Casino. The casino operates under a 'preferential tax concession' from the state government tax. This tax concession expires at the end of this year.

I have heard a credible tale that the government will extend the tax concession to the extent of Skycity funding the amount required above the $535 million cap, while physically extending their own operation to meet the southern end of the government's footbridge from the revamped AO. If the project blows out, then Skycity will invest more and the tax concession will simply be extended until Skycity is fully compensated. The government will lease the land for the casino extension (part of the present Festival Plaza) to Skycity at some figure, so that the outward appearance is that Skycity has become a partner in the AO redevelopment and is spending millions on an extension, lease payments etc. In fact, much of the money will divert to the AO project. The key to the proposal is that the extra money will effectively be from casino taxes uncollected by the government - in other words, still paid for by the taxpayer.

If that is the case, it's all very neat, but if the project is such a winner, why can't the government and the SMA be up front and say 'We are prepared to fund this one way or another, by foregoing casino taxes if necessary.'

With taxpayer funding but no taxpayer or even government representation on the SMA, we need to be kept informed, in spite of there being no election going on. A role of government is to deal with public funds, but with representation and transparency. In this case, there is no 'commercial confidentiality' to protect, so why can't we be told what's going on?

As to projections of jobs and income etc, I'd be a bit sceptical. This is from a government press release in 2002:

"With over 4000 full-time jobs expected to be created during construction of the Newport Quays Project, and a further 2000 permanent jobs created following completion, the development will provide a significant boost to the local economy." The Newport Quays project stalled some years ago.

The National Wine Centre was described by the government as 'a world-class centre of excellence which will provide a significant boost to the local economy.' The business case projected 3,000 visitors per week. Within a few months of opening, the centre was losing money, ultimately $50,000 per week.

"The original business need for the National Wine Centre could be questioned. Less than two years after its opening under State government ownership, operation of the debt-ridden facility was handed over to the Winemakers’ Federation of Australia. Eventually, on 1 July 2003, it was taken over by the University of Adelaide for $1 million on a 40 year lease." - http://epress.anu.edu.au/anzsog/imp/pdf/ch05.pdf

We are talking big money at AO, money for which there are many competing demands. We should be very sure this thing will work, and not just be a private benefit at public cost. I'm just suggesting we be very sure about its value to SA. That's where transparency and sound judgement come in.

I'm in favour of a stadium, by the way. It's about time we had one. I thought the Liberal's idea of a new city stadium was great - we;d still have Adelaide Oval and a No 2 stadium at West Lakes. Three decent arenas! But the idea, for about the same money, of retro-fitting a footy stadium onto our parklands cricket ground and reducing West Lakes to a large suburban oval - if it weren't for the politics, who'd want that?

OK, so that's water under the bridge. Now we're being sold the idea of AO as an economic generator, while the government has just voted down a modest proposal to extend trading hours in the CBD.

With that sort of thinking at the top, and with the problems of circulation, lack of toilets and lack of food outlets in the redeveloped Western Grandstand, how confident can we be of the quality of decision making regarding the next phase of the AO development?

[shaun]

The latest info on Adelaide Oval sounds fantastic!

[Matt]

Can someone (unbiased) in Adelaide tell me what the general 'mood' seems to be like re: this?

Given that my updates are reliant on either this place or The Traumatiser, I'm trying to gauge some sort of likelihood as to whether this is actually going to go ahead before allowing myself to get excited.

Do people think SACA are likely to get a 70% 'YES' vote?

[Waewick]

the more members I talk to the more likely I think it is to fail at member level

but the development will get done.

[cruel_world00]

...and with the problems of circulation, lack of toilets and lack of food outlets in the redeveloped Western Grandstand...

I'm sorry, but have you actually used the new facilities in the vastly improved Western Grandstand?

I have been to Twenty20 and Ashes matches, where there were record crowds. I had no problems getting to and from toilets, getting food, getting drinks etc. If anything there was an abundance of these at my disposal, at various levels of the new stand. Yeh, sure, I might've had to line up every so often, but the wait was not unexpected and nor would it be at any sporting arena in Australia.

On the whole, everyone I spoke to, new and old members alike, had nothing but positives to say about the redevelopment.

The other stuff you've written I can't comment on, but perpetuating fallacies like that is ridiculous.

[Pikey]

...and with the problems of circulation, lack of toilets and lack of food outlets in the redeveloped Western Grandstand...

I'm sorry, but have you actually used the new facilities in the vastly improved Western Grandstand?

I have been to Twenty20 and Ashes matches, where there were record crowds. I had no problems getting to and from toilets, getting food, getting drinks etc. If anything there was an abundance of these at my disposal, at various levels of the new stand. Yeh, sure, I might've had to line up every so often, but the wait was not unexpected and nor would it be at any sporting arena in Australia.

On the whole, everyone I spoke to, new and old members alike, had nothing but positives to say about the redevelopment.

The other stuff you've written I can't comment on, but perpetuating fallacies like that is ridiculous.

Got it in one.

I was there on day one of the Ashes test, and yes there were a few teething problems, but they were soon rectified, and with the T20 Final and Twenty 20 Aus V Eng match (both huge crowds) it was fine.

Stump, your posts are usually thoughtful and concise, but sometimes they are akin to a tabloid, where fact is often displaced with sensationalism to prove your own point. If you're not an attending member of the SACA, you don't have any grounds for comment on the new Western Stand.

I for one, will be voting yes.

[cruel_world00]

...and with the problems of circulation, lack of toilets and lack of food outlets in the redeveloped Western Grandstand...

I'm sorry, but have you actually used the new facilities in the vastly improved Western Grandstand?

I have been to Twenty20 and Ashes matches, where there were record crowds. I had no problems getting to and from toilets, getting food, getting drinks etc. If anything there was an abundance of these at my disposal, at various levels of the new stand. Yeh, sure, I might've had to line up every so often, but the wait was not unexpected and nor would it be at any sporting arena in Australia.

On the whole, everyone I spoke to, new and old members alike, had nothing but positives to say about the redevelopment.

The other stuff you've written I can't comment on, but perpetuating fallacies like that is ridiculous.

Got it in one.

I was there on day one of the Ashes test, and yes there were a few teething problems, but they were soon rectified, and with the T20 Final and Twenty 20 Aus V Eng match (both huge crowds) it was fine.

Stump, your posts are usually thoughtful and concise, but sometimes they are akin to a tabloid, where fact is often displaced with sensationalism to prove your own point. If you're not an attending member of the SACA, you don't have any grounds for comment on the new Western Stand.

I for one, will be voting yes.

I for one, can't bloody wait to vote yes. I may even go to the meeting just to stick it up those old dinosaurs (even though you can do a postal vote.)

[stumpjumper]

I was in the new stand for one day of the Test. I thought it was pretty good, but as I wandered around looking at the building I took note of people's complaints. I didn't take any notice of whinges from change-resistant old gaffers, but I did mention a few legitimate problems people were having. I haven't been in the new stand since, so I don't know if the circulation and food outlet issues have been fixed. The general standard of the building is in my professional opinion, pretty high.

I'd be interested to know that actual number of seats available now - ie in the existing Bradman and Chappell stands plus in the new western grandstand. I've heard several different figures. A common figure is 40,000. On that basis (without other considerations), you'd have to wonder about an additional 10,000 seats for $535 million.

As to heritage, by the way, the scoreboard is obviously important. I understand it will be moved a metre or so. That could be a good opportunity to do a 100 year service on the building - for example, strengthening the frame if necessary. The original so-called Vic Richardson Gates were a relatively recent construction, in steel. When ther Chappell Stand was built, the VR Gates were rebuilt in a new location to a different design of different materials. I'd say that they are perhaps significant but not 'heritage'. Similarly, Creswell Gardens has a monument to aviators Ross and Keith Smith (which can be moved like many statues and monuments around Adelaide) and a pretty ordinary arch made out of a couple of cast iron verandah posts.

[metro]

Stumpy seriously.. new stadium, right in the city, more sensible than the multi billion dollar Liberal wankfest. Get excited that Adelaide might finally catch up to the rest of Australia..

It's very similar to the opposition to the 2007 extension of the tram line, once built it made Adelaide greater!

[mgb]

Stumpy seriously.. new stadium, right in the city, more sensible than the multi billion dollar Liberal wankfest. Get excited that Adelaide might finally catch up to the rest of Australia..

It's very similar to the opposition to the 2007 extension of the tram line, once built it made Adelaide greater!

Amen!

[stumpjumper]

new stadium, right in the city, more sensible than the multi billion dollar Liberal wankfest

It's water under the bridge now, but isn't your complaint above the whole point, metro? We've made something straightforward into something very messy.

We could have had a brand new roofed or unroofed stadium on the railyards site to any number of world-class, off the shelf designs, renovated the RAH and still had Adelaide Oval and AAMI - but politics intervened (Labor and Liberal) and now we have an expensive, compromised 'stadium' which is hostage to the SACA membership and is literally surrounded by unresolved issues.

Siting the stadium next to UniSA would have been a boon to the university and given the west end of the city a huge boost.

Instead, we've made things as difficult and as expensive as possible for ourselves.

Anyway, that's all past history.

Now that we're down this ill-begotten track, I just hope it all works and that admission won't be $50 per head (on top of the taxes we're pouring into the thing).