Sensational-Adelaide.com

The proposed Adelaide Oval redevelopment is the most expensive and most discussed project currently underway in South Australia.

So, in another attempt to bring people up to date about the state's largest current building project:

Here are the best details yet of the proposed eastern stand, via video taken at a SACA members' information evening. The talk in two parts is by an architect from Philip Cox, the design architects:





With regard to timing, the August 31st deadline for, effectively, football to decide whether it is in or out and whether the project will go ahead, is now flexible, according to the government.

There have been some changes to funding. The original absolute maximum limit of $450 million included $150 million of federal funding. The revised absolute maximum limit of $535 million no longer includes any federal funding. Further funding changes include:

An amount of $40 million for the footbridge across the Torrens is now included in the Convention Centre budget.
An amount of $15 million for infrastructure for bus movement and parking at Adelaide Oval is now part of DTEI's general roadworks budget.
An amount of $11 million for an open-air car park south of the Torrens is now part of the Convention Centre budget.
The amount of $50 million for a privately funded underground carpark beneath the Memorial Drive tennis courts has not yet been sourced but will not be counted within the $535 million absolute maximum cost ceiling.
Despite the Premier's earlier announcement that the redeveloped oval will be FIFA compliant, it will not. No amount has been allowed in the $535 million for FIFA compliance. FIFA compliance will be achieved only if paid for by the federal government, which depends on Australia being awarded the 2022 World Cup.

The state government has granted SACA a second mortgage over its Adelaide Oval assets. The amount is believed to be $30 million.

AOSMA chairman Ian McLachlan told ABC TV's Statewide that if there is a cost blowput beyond $535, then he as chairman of AOSMA will take responsibility. McLachlan's football counterpart, AOSMA CEO and SANFL head Leigh Whicker said that SANFL was asked to join AOSMA and that neither he nor AFL/SANFL will take any blame for any cost blowouts.

In any case, SANFL has proposed building its own, self-funded full-sized stadium behind Adelaide High School for $650 million, provided SANFL is given the land and can rezone and sell AAMI for housing and shopping.

Football interests on Adelaide Oval Stadium Management Authority have agreed, unwillingly, to retain 'Adelaide Oval' as the name of the redeveloped venue, on condition that football is compensated for the loss of naming rights of up to $2 million per year. AOSMA chairman Ian McLachlan says 'The ground is better known worldwide than the city itself, and it's a promotional thing for the town.'

Football is not happy with the lack of lucrative corporate boxes in the almost finished western stand, which has been optimised for SACA members rather than for football corporate guests. Corporate boxes on the eastern side would look directly into the afternoon sun. Football regards the western stand as preferable, and expects to be able to use the facilities on that side when cricket is not using them.

'From a football point of view prime real estate is on the western side,' AOSMA CEO and SANFL head Leigh Whicker says. 'Football will have prime location for football season and that will be switched around for cricket season.'

McLachlan agrees there will have to be some 'interchange' of corporate space, depending on the season.

SANFL has also requested 3,800 carparks adjacent the oval and all parking receipts with no infrastructure costs, consistent with the overall zero cost position it has stated from the time it was invited to be a user of the oval. 2100 carparks are presently available on the grass, but SANFL is requesting a further 1,700 parks and their income.

SACA has proposed moving Sheffield Shield and domestic one-day matches from Adelaide Oval to Adelaide Oval number 2, to the immediate west of Adelaide Oval. The cost for this development is uncertain.

'We have to have another first-class ground,' McLachlan said.

Below is a shot of the recent NRL game played at AO, which I attended. Note the distance between the spectators and the sideline. Despite the western stand being unfinished, the rectangle could not be moved into the 'south east corner' to allow people better viewing, because the ground is domed towards the centre to keep the cricket pitch well drained. FIFA compliance requires a flat pitch, but I was advised that if the development goes ahead, SANFL will be pushing for drop-in pitches, probably under a redeveloped, filled in northern end of the oval.

That's actually quite an interesting summary.

Of course it is.

Here's a very cool time elapse film of the western grandstand under construction.

what happened to the other 3 threads you opened up in the last few days?

good read btw. you seem less against this now stumpjumper, or are you merely providing the facts here?

Don't make me post that damn song again.

Like a record, baby

good read btw. you seem less against this now stumpjumper, or are you merely providing the facts here?

Sadly, yes. The desire to see the story given some air overcame my desire to have a go at a few things.

Cordially yours, SJ

Thanks mods.

Anyone see the Seven News report tonight about 4000-signed petition for AAMI Stadium to stay?

The organisers of this petition told Seven News, AAMI Stadium is a great stadium and was only recently redeveloped, they also raised concerns on carparking and BBQs (yes BBQs).

The two ladies will take the signed petition to the State Government and Adelaide Crows CEO Steven Trig 2 weeks before August 31 Deadline.

My favourite bit of nimbyism about this project was saca members complaning about the new stands being too step, Because they where worried about getting vertigo and toppling over.

crawf wrote:Anyone see the Seven News report tonight about 4000-signed petition for AAMI Stadium to stay?

The organisers of this petition told Seven News, AAMI Stadium is a great stadium and was only recently redeveloped, they also raised concerns on carparking and BBQs (yes BBQs).

The two ladies will take the signed petition to the State Government and Adelaide Crows CEO Steven Trig 2 weeks before August 31 Deadline.

I saw a sign for this petition on the back of a car parked on max basheer res. on the way in to the game last night. i lol'd in my head. 4000 members is some people power though, could go a long way . And what about those West Lakes residents who make their weekly bonus selling off their front lawn for car parking on match day? Perhaps the North Adelaide residents could benefit by adopting this entrepreneurial frame of mind

That 4000 figure is questionable, but then again there is over 4,000 idiots in this city

Hooligan wrote:My favourite bit of nimbyism about this project was saca members complaning about the new stands being too step, Because they where worried about getting vertigo and toppling over.

Just as bad as the trams were going to run over small children, haha oh god

I'm sorry, but I'm still yet to be convinced that anyone other than muffins and Toilet Ducks have been involved with the entire Adelaide Oval saga. It's such a poorly-thought-out, ill-advised mish-mash that compromises on far, far too many aspects of best-practice stadium design and still hasn't been justified by raw data illustrating the financial advantages of the project (and I mean distinct from media/forum/public speculation presented as fact). I cannot believe half a billion dollars is to be so effortlessly whisked out of our pockets and blessed upon a development that any self-respecting organisation would be far too embarrassed to present to the public as their optimal solution.

Even worse than no development is a painfully cynical, watered-down one; where better takes a back seat to shiny and new.

/soapbox

crawf wrote: Just as bad as the trams were going to run over small children, haha oh god

as opposed to a car, bus, motercycle, truck or train running over a small child?

all in all, the "heritage value" of the AO is very minimal. there is no reason the ground will lose it's world recognition because of a renovation, look at the MCG and how much that has changed over time; it is still a world renowned oval. just do it...and please don't cut corners...look where that got us with the desal plant.

If there's a game being played here, it's not football or cricket.

The most recent significant comment from the SANFL was in the SANFL News 14/3/08, in an article entitled

'A WORLD CLASS STADIUM FOR ADELAIDE: THE LOGICAL SOLUTION'

http://www.sanfl.com.au/news/sanfl_news/page_101/178/

A while ago, to be sure, but interesting:

'The South Australian National Football League, Adelaide and Port Adelaide Football Clubs recognise the priorities facing Governments with regard to important public infrastructure in areas such as health, transport and education, quite apart from spending in the vicinity of $1 billion on a new sporting stadium.

The SANFL, AFC and PAFC believe that an upgrade of AAMI Stadium together with first-class transport infrastructure at a collective investment in the vicinity of $250 million is the most logical solution available to Governments in the interests of South Australians.'

Naturally, the government's offer of a completely free facility from which SANFL would get half the income for ever would have been tempting, but in the other hand the Adelaide Oval redevelopment does not rate a mention on the current websites of either the AFL or SANFL. I'm checking out their annual reports too - so far nothing there either.