Cattery - 36,000 seat redevelopment

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WOW - Awesome news! Our very own 'house of pain' :)


OUR MINI MCG
SPEAKING FRANKLY: Frank Costa speaks at a civic reception in Warrnambool yesterday.
Tuesday, February 7
JAY CLARK


GEELONG Football Club has unveiled plans to transform Skilled Stadium into a 36,000-capacity colosseum.
In a multi-million dollar bid to secure the Cats' long-term future in Geelong, president Frank Costa said the club would build a northern stand and extend the old Reg Hickey Stand so it joined up with the eastern stand like a mini MCG.

He said the Ross Drew Stand and the Past Players' Stand would be demolished to make way for the southern end extension, while the new northern stand would be built behind the Gary Ablett Terrace.

Costa said the club hoped to start construction in about three years' time, if it can secure adequate funding from the state and federal governments in partnership with the AFL and City of Greater Geelong.

``To ensure that football will continue to be played here, we have to move forward,'' Costa told the Advertiser.

``We can't stand still, otherwise we will be under pressure to play more games in Melbourne and we want it to be the other way around.

``So the development will be ideal for Geelong because it will give us a colosseum-style ground with at least 36,000 capacity.

``There will be grandstand seating right around the ground.''

Costa, who spoke earlier at a civic reception welcoming the Cats on their Community Camp in Warrnambool, said the development would be split into two separate five-year stages, beginning with the southern end extension.

The Brownlow and Ford stands will remain, while the club has also promised to ensure that at least 5000 standing room tickets will be available when the project is complete about 2020.

Costa said the club's remarkable financial turnaround under chief executive Brian Cook has meant that it was only now able to properly cater for projected record membership and seat sales, on the back of successive finals appearances.

``We are already up seven per cent on membership this year but we have to increase the capacity otherwise people will say what's the point of buying a membership if I can't get a seat?'' he said.

``So it's a good pressure to be under because if we want to increase membership we have to better facilities.''

As well as securing the club's long-term future as the AFL's regional hub in Victoria, Costa said the Geelong community was also set to directly benefit from the economical flow-on of the stadium's increased capacity.

He said once complete, the Skilled upgrade would help attract more events to Geelong, including first-class cricket matches, concerts and more Geelong home games.

``If we work together we will be able to get more events at the stadium,'' he said.

Costa said Geelong would not start construction until the last $3 million of its current re-development debt was paid off to the Bendigo Bank in 2008-2009.

http://www.geelonginfo.com/readarticle.asp?articleid=18716
 

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LongBomb

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#2
Fantastic news. I'm especially rapt that they plan to keep 5,000 standing room spots.

Great times ahead for the GFC!
 

LongBomb

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#6
Then after the next redevelopment in 2015 the ground should be big enough to host finals.
 

D0nk

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#7
LongBomb said:
Then after the next redevelopment in 2015 the ground should be big enough to host finals.
Finals footy was one of the first things that came to my head, but is 36,000 going to be big enough for a game to be moved from the MCG or the Dome?

I also hope this 36,000 stand doesn't turn out to be a 30,000 stand...
 

LongBomb

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#8
I'm talking about the next redevelopment after this proposal.
It's a long shot, but a man can dream.

I also hope this 36,000 stand doesn't turn out to be a 30,000 stand...
Now, why would you think that? ;)
 

Turbocat

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#9
D0nk said:
Finals footy was one of the first things that came to my head, but is 36,000 going to be big enough for a game to be moved from the MCG or the Dome?

I also hope this 36,000 stand doesn't turn out to be a 30,000 stand...
Firstly let me say , its good to have a plan. Mid 30's sounds good but..

Where is the money coming from? The quote was
Costa said the club hoped to start construction in about three years' time, if it can secure adequate funding from the state and federal governments in partnership with the AFL and City of Greater Geelong.

Mmm. We lucked last time but do you realy think they will habd over so much again? How much are we talking about ? If the the new Hickey cost 30M then it will be double that!

Finals will never be played in Geelong. The belong in the biggest ground.

No matter what is said, do you really think the AFL will give us 11 games at KP? They didnt even give us a NAB game when the TD and G were unavailable because of the Com Games.

Like I said it sounds good, and if they build they will come but first they have to build it!
 

D0nk

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#10
LongBomb said:
I'm talking about the next redevelopment after this proposal.
It's a long shot, but a man can dream.
Ah, gotcha, was a little confused, as the article said that the project wouldn't be finished until 2020, being completed in two 5 year stages.

Stuff all this pussy-footing around and transfer the MCG to KP, that'll sort everything out.
 

Dasher39

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#11
Turbocat said:
Firstly let me say , its good to have a plan. Mid 30's sounds good but..

Where is the money coming from? The quote was
Costa said the club hoped to start construction in about three years' time, if it can secure adequate funding from the state and federal governments in partnership with the AFL and City of Greater Geelong.

Mmm. We lucked last time but do you realy think they will habd over so much again? How much are we talking about ? If the the new Hickey cost 30M then it will be double that!

Finals will never be played in Geelong. The belong in the biggest ground.

No matter what is said, do you really think the AFL will give us 11 games at KP? They didnt even give us a NAB game when the TD and G were unavailable because of the Com Games.

Like I said it sounds good, and if they build they will come but first they have to build it!
Of course it is dependant on funding, however Andrew Demetriou said recently the AFL would like to be involved again with GFC for another redevelopment of Skilled after the fantastic work they did last time!

The COG would be stupid not to invest considering the money it will bring into the town, however we saw the hassle last time with them so who knows!

The State and Federal Govt will be the big ones! I can see the State Govt participating again, however winning over Canberra will be a tough ask, but if anyone can do it, Frank and Cook can!

I am hopeful that this project will get off the ground. I also recall Brian Cook saying recently that Geelong is in a far better financial position so can pump more of it's own money into such projects, which would mean we would have to ask for less from other sources!

But this news should have EVERY GFC fan excited!
 

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Turbocat

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#13
The Spin Doctor to the rescue. The cookster , man he is good at his job.
Put the ice on Frank without bagging him.

Like I said , Id love to see it but lets just wait till we get something a little more solid before getting to excited. Unless of course Frank wants to coff up the dough himself.
Otherwize why not go the whole hog, back to the future, say a a mini Telstra Dome in the Eastern Gardens, 35,000 only probably 150-250M.
Now thats a lot broccoli !!
 

Copernicus

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#15
That would be great but I think we ought to worry about filling the present stadium for the time being, whatever its capacity is. I'm sure it's not 27,000.

It would be great, one day, to head down to KP and be a part of a truly big crowd, though. Something to dream about I guess.
 
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