[COM] Memorial Drive upgrade

[AndyWelsh]

A month on since my last photos and not much seems to have happened:














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[Pants]

I'd imagine there's a fair bit of steel fabrication going on offsite.

[Krint]

Here are some pics of the final roof design ... I think

From Kennett Builders FB page

https://www.facebook.com/49534250397387 ... 83?sfns=mo


Wonder if the insides of the grandstands are being renovated also?

[I Follow PAFC]

New Adelaide tournament set to unveil first big name
TENNIS One of the hottest names in world tennis has signed up for Adelaide’s new January tournament at the revamped Memorial Drive.
https://www.adelaidenow.com.au/sport/te ... 0fe46e3235

[Stryker]

Interesting article from the ABC about some internal emails from the company that clad the new Adelaide Convention Centre. Especially this part:

The employee also said that the Adelaide Venue Management Authority were a "key client".

"We're working with them on the business case for the new multipurpose arena … we're targeting lead consulting and total engineering," he said.


https://www.abc.net.au/news/2019-08-21/ ... w/11435128

[SRW]

Interesting article from the ABC about some internal emails from the company that clad the new Adelaide Convention Centre. Especially this part:

The employee also said that the Adelaide Venue Management Authority were a "key client".

"We're working with them on the business case for the new multipurpose arena … we're targeting lead consulting and total engineering," he said.


https://www.abc.net.au/news/2019-08-21/ ... w/11435128

Yeah, it was reported late last year and updated upon earlier this year. Their proposal considered selling off Hindmarsh and AEC to fund a new city facility. Tennis Australia & SMA had a rival proposal for this site.

It's all for naught unless something happens with the CommGames or the Liberals get spend-happy next electoral cycle.

[ChillyPhilly]

Interesting article from the ABC about some internal emails from the company that clad the new Adelaide Convention Centre. Especially this part:

The employee also said that the Adelaide Venue Management Authority were a "key client".

"We're working with them on the business case for the new multipurpose arena … we're targeting lead consulting and total engineering," he said.


https://www.abc.net.au/news/2019-08-21/ ... w/11435128

Yeah, it was reported late last year and updated upon earlier this year. Their proposal considered selling off Hindmarsh and AEC to fund a new city facility. Tennis Australia & SMA had a rival proposal for this site.

It's all for naught unless something happens with the CommGames or the Liberals get spend-happy next electoral cycle.

SMA need to keep their hands out of this one.

[NTRabbit]

Pretty sure that Tennis SA and the SMA aren't on the same page - Tennis SA has their long term idea for Memorial Drive, the AVMA proposed their new stadium idea for the railyards, and the SMA wants most of the Tennis SA idea to be built but with the main arena on the golf course, and then handed to them to run.

[claybro]

The current upgrade plan is a pretty half arsed attempt and I was kind of hoping it had fallen over by now. It doesnt address the square on vantage of the two rectangular stands, will be prone to be a wind tunnel, and really will not be up to modern standards despite all the money to be spent. Still.. like it's neighbor AO I'm sure there are those that will rave about the upgrade as though it is some architectural masterpiece and a jewel in Adelaides crown owing to it being different to every other cities boring enclosed air conditioned arenas.

[Jaymz]

In my opinion, when you are talking about major sporting infrastructure in one of the 5 biggest cities in Australia.... any investment under, say, $50 million is nothing more than a renovation. Most likely putting lipstick on a pig, as the saying goes.

[andynguyen]

Longer term, I think tennis should be relocated from Memorial Drive to a site combined with the existing netball centre at Mile End to create a new state netball and tennis centre, it has the potential to offer larger space and it would also be close to other existing and potential new sports facilities. The existing Netball SA Stadium could be rebuilt with a capacity of 5,000 seats and a roof canopy design so tennis could be hosted there in addition to netball.

If we're lucky we could even steal the Australian Open tennis grand slam tournament from Melbourne once their contract expires in 2036, with further upgrades to the "new" netball and tennis centre including a new 10,000 seat arena to replace the existing Adelaide Entertainment Centre (which should be kept until after 2036).

The existing Memorial Drive arena could stay as it is, and either converted to an aquatics centre with only a swimming and diving pool to be built, or continue to host outdoor sports events and concerts after the tennis centre is relocated, together with a new 18,000 seat indoor arena constructed next door and new open space.

[Patrick_27]

If we're lucky we could even steal the Australian Open tennis grand slam tournament from Melbourne once their contract expires in 2036, with further upgrades to the "new" netball and tennis centre including a new 10,000 seat arena to replace the existing Adelaide Entertainment Centre (which should be kept until after 2036).

lol. Adelaide would never even get a look in if the hosting rights ever became available.

[NTRabbit]

Why would we split up the potential CBD sports precinct by moving the Tennis out to what is effectively the middle of nowhere as far as public transport and hospitality/retail is concerned instead of moving the Netball to Memorial Drive?

[andynguyen]

Why would we split up the potential CBD sports precinct by moving the Tennis out to what is effectively the middle of nowhere as far as public transport and hospitality/retail is concerned instead of moving the Netball to Memorial Drive?

As far as I'm concerned, there is a lack of room to expand the tennis centre at its current site. Furthermore, the current netball centre is also a large site, which includes 26 outdoor courts, so the space at Memorial Drive is not large enough for netball. Memorial Drive could also be one of the sites for an indoor arena, which, together with the space needed to move spectators around, can result in a potential loss of tennis courts. However, an indoor arena is the best fit for Memorial Drive in my opinion. This is because areas that are easily accessible to public transport such as Memorial Drive need to be developed in a way that attract and benefit more people. Not everyone plays tennis or netball, and thus those facilities may only benefit those who play those sports, whilst an indoor arena at Memorial Drive will benefit more people, given more sports and concerts can be hosted at the indoor arena, and is an appropriate site to host large numbers of people. Utilisation of space and accessibility to public transport goes hand in hand.

The new tennis centre in Mile End has great potential as it will be close to a future train station at Keswick, which could be built as part of an Adelaide underground rail project. Any future redevelopment of the netball arena at its current site to increase capacity could be designed in a way to accommodate tennis, therefore increasing the arena's utilisation. And the site bordering Sir John Bradman Dr, Railway Tce, Richmond Rd and the railway line, which contains the tennis and netball centre, could be developed into a major international sports hub for Adelaide with a number of other sports, including swimming, diving, basketball, volleyball, badminton, table tennis, gymnastics, hockey, rugby and soccer to be located there as well. Once urban renewal at surrounding sites start to kick in, there's the potential for this site to be close to future hospitality and retail precincts as well.

[ml69]

Why would we split up the potential CBD sports precinct by moving the Tennis out to what is effectively the middle of nowhere as far as public transport and hospitality/retail is concerned instead of moving the Netball to Memorial Drive?

As far as I'm concerned, there is a lack of room to expand the tennis centre at its current site. Furthermore, the current netball centre is also a large site, which includes 26 outdoor courts, so the space at Memorial Drive is not large enough for netball. Memorial Drive could also be one of the sites for an indoor arena, which, together with the space needed to move spectators around, can result in a potential loss of tennis courts. However, an indoor arena is the best fit for Memorial Drive in my opinion. This is because areas that are easily accessible to public transport such as Memorial Drive need to be developed in a way that attract and benefit more people. Not everyone plays tennis or netball, and thus those facilities may only benefit those who play those sports, whilst an indoor arena at Memorial Drive will benefit more people, given more sports and concerts can be hosted at the indoor arena, and is an appropriate site to host large numbers of people. Utilisation of space and accessibility to public transport goes hand in hand.

The new tennis centre in Mile End has great potential as it will be close to a future train station at Keswick, which could be built as part of an Adelaide underground rail project. Any future redevelopment of the netball arena at its current site to increase capacity could be designed in a way to accommodate tennis, therefore increasing the arena's utilisation. And the site bordering Sir John Bradman Dr, Railway Tce, Richmond Rd and the railway line, which contains the tennis and netball centre, could be developed into a major international sports hub for Adelaide with a number of other sports, including swimming, diving, basketball, volleyball, badminton, table tennis, gymnastics, hockey, rugby and soccer to be located there as well. Once urban renewal at surrounding sites start to kick in, there's the potential for this site to be close to future hospitality and retail precincts as well.

Sorry but I think your “vision” is all pie in the sky stuff. Too many stars have to align in the future for it work. Tennis would be stupid to move from their current centrally-located site.

The new multipurpose arena will either be built on the Memorial Drive site, or even better, a new greenfields site west of the Morphett St bridge facing the Torrens.