News PeopleFirst (Bank) Stadium and Precinct

[Iva Bigun]

Two things. On Friday we will find out if the rumour of Australia being considered to host the 2021 FIFA Confederations Cup is true. Should that be the case, there is a decent change Metricon will be in the frame to host some games. The event requires 6 stadiums with a minimum capacity of 40,000. Etihad, Sydney Football Stadium and Suncorp Stadium are the obvious choices with Adelaide Oval apparently likely to get the nod as well. The new Perth Stadium will be competed by then and I'd say there is a good chance it will also host games. That leaves just one more stadium with a minimum capacity of 40,000 to host games. I think the rules with FIFA events require the each stadium to be based in a different city so Metricon is really the only remaining option. We know Metricon will have a capacity of 40,000 in 2018 and I'm pretty sure none of the stadiums outside of the big 5 capital cities plan to increase capacity to 40,000 between now and then. Metricon is the logical choice as the 6th venue and that would require a permanent upgrade to at least 40,000.

Second thing. Here are some photos of what the Carrara Indoor Stadium and the site for the Carrara Sports and Leisure Centre currently look like:

Great work as always Matchu , I cringe every time I see that building, I know it is staying so it will have to be a very good designer to make that white elephant look ultra modern.

 

[Resistor]

Could it be the catalysis for a indoor Canberra stadium? ie, like Forsyth Barr Stadium in Dunedin. I would say that they would want another rectangle stadium over an oval one.

 

[Matchu]

I cringe every time I see that building, I know it is staying so it will have to be a very good designer to make that white elephant look ultra modern.

It's definitely an eyesore. The revamp of the CIS will include both interior and exterior upgrades so it won't look like that for too much longer. This is an older photo of the interior but it still looks the same to this day and very much belongs in the 90s:

Could it be the catalysis for a indoor Canberra stadium? ie, like Forsyth Barr Stadium in Dunedin. I would say that they would want another rectangle stadium over an oval one.

An indoor stadium in Canberra would be a game changer on those cold winter nights. I think the AFL would want to get involved a la Sydney Olympic Stadium if there were such plans. The two rugby codes having an indoor stadium during winter would put the AFL at a serious disadvantage in the Canberra market.

 

[Matchu]

Iva Bigun, I have found a little bit more on the CIS upgrade.

Carrara Indoor Stadium Refurbishment Project
Significant refurbishment and upgrade works are proposed to provide a 20year plus life for the facility post the Games. Works required include refurbishment and upgrades within the existing layout including toilets and amenities, food and beverage facilities, administration facilities, seating, sports floor, ventilation, cladding, building services, acoustics, DDA compliant access and cosmetic enhancements to external areas. In Games mode, Carrara Indoor Stadium will be the Weightlifting competition facility with warm-up located in close proximity to the competition area plus associated athletes facilities. The facility will be required to accommodate 2,500 spectator seats.


The new cladding on the outside will improve the overall look of the building and they are also going to build a new roof. I've also found a little bit more on the rest of the precinct:

Gold Coast Suns Football Club Training and Administration Facility Project
The Gold Coast Suns have funded the PD/Concept Design and Schematic Design of an option for the proposed new Gold Coast Suns Football Club training and administration facilities to be colocated with the CS&LC. The Suns facility has been designed as a plug-on to the CS&LC i.e.; it isn't integral to the design, construction and operation of the CS&LC. The Gold Coast Suns proposed training and administration facility project is subject to funding availability from several sources and may not proceed beyond the Schematic Design stage. If funds are approved, it is proposed that the Suns facility will be built concurrently with the CS&LC.

Carrara Southern Precinct Sports Fields Project
Initial feasibility options have been investigated to develop Council community fields/facilities on the Southern side of Nerang-Broadbeach Road. The scope of the project includes four community sports fields and associated services, road and amenities.


I believe the funding has been secure for the Suns training and admin facility so that should go ahead. The southern precinct is the soccer fields if you weren't able to work that out.

 

[Matchu]

Probably worth looking at the Brisbane Broncos' new $27 million training facilities that were announced 2 days ago. They have basically been given land across the road from their current training facilities in Red Hill. Pictures:

 

[Matchu]

Ferry service on agenda for Gold Coast Commonwealth Games to deal with visitor influx

A FERRY service between Surfers Paradise and Carrara and widened roads are on the agenda to handle the massive influx of visitors expected during the 2018 Commonwealth Games.

Glitter Strip business leaders and the Gold Coast City Council are developing the Surfers Paradise Precinct Transport Plan to quickly move large numbers of people in and out of the city’s heart, which will serve as a major gathering spot for the Games.

Major north-south and east-west roads, including Smith Street, the Gold Coast Highway and Nerang-Broadbeach and Currumburra roads, are recommended for widening from four to six lanes to cope with increased traffic, and to relieve congestion on other thorough fares.

Council documents show major bottlenecks are expected at Chevron Island’s two bridges, as well as at the Isle of Capri roundabout. To deal with this, planners are focusing on moving many visitors by water.

The council’s Heart of the City committee is drawing up plans for a river ferry system to be operational by April 2018 and capable of moving up to 300 people each trip from the Games hub at Carrara’s Metricon Stadium to Cavill Ave.

Surfers Paradise councillor Lex Bell said council engineers had not contemplated building new bridges to Chevron Island but rather would look at “maximising the capacity” of the existing road network.

“The discussions have taken place about the east-west connections being important to avoid the bottlenecks,” he said.

“Our traffic engineers are on it already and working with the Commonwealth Games people to get it ahead.”

The ferry system has long been on the council’s agenda but has not been budgeted and no final route or type of craft have been selected.

However, the council and Gold Coast Waterways Authority are building a wharf on the Nerang River at the end of Cavill Ave which would be able to service the ferries.

Further stops are planned for the cultural precinct at Evandale, as well as Southport and The Spit.

Surfers Paradise Alliance boss Mike Winlaw said the ferries would be a strong addition to the city’s transport system.

“The ferry is on the agenda from the (Games) organisers and we think this service would be a significant contribution to the city in terms of the movement of people,” he said.

Surfers Paradise is expected to host two “live sites” during the Games, featuring entertainment and big screens.

 

[Matchu]

New report points to long-term real estate growth around Commonwealth Games sites

GOLD Coast suburbs including Southport and Ashmore have been tipped for strong growth either side of the 2018 Commonwealth Games.

A new report released today by real estate franchise PRDnationwide indicated the Coast was set for an uplift based on the impact the 2000 Olympic Games and 2006 Commonwealth Games had on Sydney and Melbourne, respectively.

PRDnationwide national research manager Dr Diaswati Mardiasmo said the effects were already being felt on the Coast.

“The Gold Coast market recap for 2014 clearly identifies that houses in almost all of the suburbs surrounding the 2018 Commonwealth Games have witnessed median price growth over the past 12 months,” Dr Mardiasmo said.

She said Southport and Ashmore have been among the best performers in that period, with both experiencing double digit growth.

“The recent growth is expected to continue through to 2018 and beyond thanks to overall improvement in market conditions as well as the infrastructure and publicity the Gold Coast will receive due to the Commonwealth Games.”

That growth will be strongest in the suburbs around the development sites where the Games will be held, the report found.

According to the report, sales figures rose almost 58 per cent from 2000 to 2001 in areas surrounding the Sydney Olympics Athletes Village, which was later transformed into nearly 900 townhouses and 700 apartments for sale to the public.

Six years later in Melbourne, sales of homes from the site of the Athletes Village in Parkville was attributed to a rise of more than 33 per cent in the region between 2006 and 2007.

Interesting news. The main road from Southport/Ashmore to Metricon is Currumburra Rd which is already being planned to be upgraded to 6 lanes. Hooker Boulevard in Broadbeach is also being planned to be upgraded to 6 lanes. So the roads should be able to handle the movement to and from Metricon during the Commonwealth Games when it's coupled with the planned ferry option from Surfers Paradise. Basically, travel to Metricon from the three major suburbs of Southport, Surfers Paradise and Broadbeach should be a lot better in three years time.

The new Brisbane ferry terminals costed up to $10 million each so the Gold Coast Council will need to find the funds somehow. They are flood proof in Brisbane so that's something to consider on the Gold Coast.

 

[TARGETMAN]

a string of golf cart/ trains to ferry people tooo and fro to the train station. all that's needed is a 5 meter wide footpath and a few of those mini trains(like the ones at patheticfair..

 

[Experimental]

Hooker Boulevard in Broadbeach is also being planned to be upgraded to 6 lanes.

* me, that's going to be shithouse during construction. It's bad enough as it is, but any form on delay on Hoover Blvd is going to suck major ass.

I assume the upgrade is going to include the bus-only transit lanes that are included in the Comm Games planning?

 

[Matchu]

**** me, that's going to be shithouse during construction. It's bad enough as it is, but any form on delay on Hoover Blvd is going to suck major ass.

I assume the upgrade is going to include the bus-only transit lanes that are included in the Comm Games planning?

One can only assume. An upgrade to Hooker Boulevard would require resumption of land and the widening of several bridges but the advantage of doing it now is that it will make it much easier to extend the light rail out to Metricon in the future which is the eventual plan for the rapid bus routes. It's a necessary step for the Gold Coast's future transport network and the sooner the better in my mind.

I should probably put this in the transport thread but it's pretty obvious how it's going to work on the Gold Coast in the future. You have three major north-south roads which are the Pacific Motorway (west), Bermuda/Bundall/Ferry Road (central) and the Gold Coast Highway (east). You have the heavy rail line that runs in the west and the light rail line the runs in the east. Along those three major roads you'll have several east-west roads that connect the light and heavy rails and Hooker Boulevard is one of them. The central road doesn't go all the way south or north which means the east and west roads meet at a point both north and south. The southern meeting point is the Gold Coast Airport and the northern meeting point is Helensvale. The light rail is already planned to be extended to Helensvale for stage 2 so the northern meeting point will be complete soon. The next priority is extending both the light and heavy rails down to the Gold Coast Airport and that appears to be in the planning stages. From there you have the east-west light rail extensions and I think an extension to Nerang via Metricon is the second highest priority behind Robina.

 

[TARGETMAN]

to ease pressure on the roads during the suns games could be accomplished buy simply building a club house on the river side. that way people will arrive earlier and sink a few brews, alas spreading out the traffic over a greater amount of time

 

[Resistor]

Just found this, not sure if seen before, but interesting render of the stadium pre-build

http://www.architectureanddesign.com.au/news/industry-news/watpac-wins-carrara-stadium-work

 

[TARGETMAN]

wtf 2009

 

[____]

You make some fair points but something I don't think you are taking into account is the generational change that will occur over the next 10-15 years. Not only will there be an extra 400,000 people living on the Gold Coast by then but you'll also have an entire generation that has experienced the highs and low of the footy club. By that time the kids won't remember a time when the Suns didn't exist and the people who are starting to have kids grew up with the Suns in their life. It's going to be a very different situation to what it is now.

I can guarantee GC Suns will have a lot of supporters that are first gen Aussies in 10-15 years time.

 

[Matchu]

Four hours! FOUR HOURS! BEFORE and AFTER the game!

You can now legitimately go out after a game and not feel like you have time restrictions.

 

[Corkie]

Photo from Twitter showing what is coming.

 

[exile]

construction is officially underway. keep an eye on the local news tonight.

^ that doesn't look too bad! although, it looks like the original basketball arena (in white) is staying?

 

[Iva Bigun]

View attachment 122769

Photo from Twitter showing what is coming.

Not loving it, seems scaled back from previous "artists impressions" The new buildings (to the left" look like cardboard boxes. Surely it could gain from a splash of Red and Gold

 

[Matchu]

Photo from Twitter showing what is coming.

I drove past earlier today and the construction gates are up so it really is starting. You can see in that Twitter photo you've posted that the planned plaza area in front of the CIS (Carrara Indoor Stadium) and the CSLC (Carrara Sports and Leisure Centre) has a lot of trees mixed with concrete and grass areas. I hope it's true that they plan to open a restaurant or two in that plaza area. The indoor stadium looks better in that render and I'm sure a lot of that has to do with the planned cladding upgrade. It also looks like there are several rectangular fields out the back but I'm sure it wouldn't be hard to switch that to an oval. This also means the soccer fields are officially no more and I presume work on a new soccer area over the road will begin soon. Here is what the precinct currently looks like:

 

[exile]

Not loving it, seems scaled back from previous "artists impressions" The new buildings (to the left" look like cardboard boxes. Surely it could gain from a splash of Red and Gold

can't really tell because of the shadows, but a fair bit of the external walls are yellow. no red to be seen anywhere though...

 

[Experimental]

Any word on LED signage in the stadium yet? Andrew Travis said at the members night that LED signage was on its way but didn't elaborate. I can't find any information but hopefully the old advertisements around the oval will be electronic for round two.

 

[SUNS]

 

[Matchu]

SUNS Chairman John Witheriff added Commonwealth Games Board

GOLD Coast identity John Witheriff has been appointed to the Gold Coast Commonwealth Games Corporation Board.

Mr Witheriff, who is chairman of the Gold Coast Suns and heads up light rail operator GoldLinQ, was this morning announced by the government as the latest member of the Games board.

Last week Council CEO Dale Dickson was also put on the board.

Games Minister Kate Jones said today that the changes would ensure Gold Coast involvement in organising the major event.

PREMIER Annastacia Palaszczuk will return to the Gold Coast this morning to press the start button on the biggest sporting project associated with the 2018 Commonwealth Games.

Ms Palaszczuk, Tourism and Games Minister Kate Jones and Gold Coast Mayor Tom Tate will together turn the first sod on the $114 million Carrara Sports Precinct, which will be at the centre of most of the action during the Games.

Last year the Sydney-based construction company Hansen Yuncken was announced as the lead contractor for the massive project.

The Carrara development will take three years to compete and include a $6 million revamp of Metricon, the construction of two new stadiums and an $8 million upgrade of a small existing stadium.

Hansen Yuncken will also build the $40 million Coomera stadium on Beattie Road. Preliminary work is underway already for the stadium.

The two projects will create more than 500 jobs and suck up almost half of the $320 million that the State Government plans to spend here in the lead-up to the Games.

During the Games Carrara will host the athletics, opening and closing ceremony, badminton and weightlifting, while Coomera will be home to the gymnastics, netball finals and basketball finals.

A lot going on today!

 

[Matchu]

Can only assume that means LED signage has been added...

 

[Matchu]

Here is a picture from today for the history books:

John Witheriff (SUNS Chairman), Not sure, Tom Tate (GC Mayor), Kate Jones (Comm Games Minister), Anastacia Palaszczuk (QLD Premier).

We'll probably look back on that photo in a few years and be amazed at how much has changed. Get a look at these photos from 2009 when the stadium redevelopment was announced:

Anna Blight (then Premier) with Charlie Dixon and John Witheriff at the old Carrara Stadium. On an unrelated note, I also found this picture of Gaz, Nathan and Joel at Wet'n'Wild in 2011: