Upgrade of Facilities.

[blue_bhoy]

Good news:

$15.7m makeover

 

[AlecDuncan]

Good news:

I hope the loudmouths who were bagging the board and administration at this year's AGM over the facilities will now turn around and admit that perhaps the club knew more than they did, and that said loudmouths were wrong.

Not likely.

Fantastic news. Congratulations to the club's leadership for getting the various levels of government on board, and starting the march back from pathos.

All hail state elections!

 

[bibi01]

this is great news

although i don't see anything about an extension to the parking facilities. a decent carpark would go a fair way to increasing the usage of princes park and maybe one day host afl matches again.


from afl website-

CARLTON FOOTBALL CLUB

Total Project Value:
Stage One: $12.70M

Stage Two: $3.0M

Funding Contributions:

Stage One – Funded
State Government: $5.00m
City of Melbourne: $2.00m (subject to Council Budget process)
Carlton Football Club: $2.00m
Australian Football League: $3.45m
Other: $0.25m

Stage Two:
Other: $3.00m

Princes Park Community Sports Precinct:
Create training and administrative facilities for the Carlton Football Club while maximising community usage and benefits that can be derived from such a significant recreational asset.

This redevelopment will see this aging football ground opening itself up to the local community and the State significant parklands that surround it in an environmentally friendly and aesthetically pleasing way

Proposed Redevelopment will include:

Subject to further feasibility analysis, community consultation and planning approval, the proposed development includes:

Stage One

Retain and significantly refurbish the existing Harris Stand
Retain and refurbish the Heroes Stand
Demolish the existing Gardiner Stand.
Demolish or modify the existing Pratt Stand
Demolish or modify the existing Heatly Stand.

Create new social club and community meeting areas, including:
- Public café/bistro overlooking Princes Park;
- Meeting rooms;
- Function room(s);
- Merchandise and membership sales shop; and
- Office/administration space.

Development of joint usage community facilities including:
- sports medicine suites;
- fitness trainer studios;
- 25m x 4 lane indoor pool;
- personal training rooms;
- meeting rooms; and
- lecture theatre.

Upgrade Carlton Football Club administration offices;

Development of other football industry office space for groups such as AFL Sportsready or Football Victoria;

Development of new elite training facilities for Carlton Football Club;

Development of the High Performance Fencing Centre.

Stage Two

Development of a multi court indoor sports facility.

 

[Andyt30]

long overdue all facilities should be all around the same standard
like interstates Facilities are don't want to be behind interstate clubs
in Facilities standards

 

[Stig O'Hara]

On the Carlton website
The grandstands at MC Labour Park reveal plenty about the history of the ground - from the old Gardiner stand with its ornate pillars through to the 70's ski slope of the Pratt Stand which links to the ground's newest addition, the Legends Stand.

On the AFL website.
Several of the one-time AFL venues will undergo significant redevelopment as part of the project. Among the grandstands that will disappear include:
- the Pratt and Gardiner stands at MC Labour Park

Demolish the Gardiner Stand!!!!

It's heritage listed isn't it?

 

[gandaal]

Money injection per club (not including money invested by the club themselves)-

Carlton: $10.7 M
Richmond: $5.5 M
Essendon: $0.6 M
Collingwood: $8.75 M (although that's more about the community then the club)
Hawthorn: $0.5 M
Kangaroos: $5.5 M
St Kilda: $8.5 M

I don't think we've done too badly at all.

 

[AlecDuncan]

Demolish the Gardiner Stand!!!!

It's heritage listed isn't it?

Good point. I can't see the usual suspects coping with the demolition of a landmark that dates back to 1912 - and I can see their point of view. If it's not heritage listed, it soon will be.

Still, it happened with the MCG. The Smokers Stand was built in the '20s, but it's souvenir rubble now.

 

[AlecDuncan]

Good news:

Landmark: The Alderman Gardiner Stand, Princes Park
by PAUL DAFFEY

TIME AND MONEY

In 1903, the Carlton Football Club had plans drawn up by an unknown architect to build the stand. Wrangling with the Carlton Cricket Club delayed works until, finally, the first section of the stand was opened in 1909, enabling the Blues to reap the rewards of burgeoning interest; according to Lionel Frost, author of The Old Dark Navy Blues, Carlton's football membership rose from 473 at the turn of the century to almost 5000 in 1909. The stand was completed in 1912 at a cost of 4572 pounds. The cricket club paid 600 pounds while the football club contributed the balance.

MAN OF HONOUR

Jack Gardiner was a watchmaker and jeweller who became an auctioneer and property agent. He was captain of the Carlton Football Club for four years, from 1876 to 79, and later became the president of the football and cricket clubs. He represented the seat of Carlton in state parliament for a decade and was a Melbourne City councillor for a combined total of 30 years, including several years as an alderman, until his death in 1929 at the age of 82. As a member of Princes Park's ground committee, his ability to unite the football and cricket clubs enabled the agreement to build the stand that, fittingly, bears his name.

LOCATION

Half-forward flank, northern side, Royal Parade end.

FEATURES

Among the stand's several distinguishing features, the 11 cast-iron pillars at the front are an anomaly in this age when spectators are accustomed to having no impediments to their view. Between the pillars, just beneath the roof, alternating crests of the football club or cricket club are suspended by wrought-iron lacework. If you look up at the underside of the corrugated iron roof, which features peeling red paint, part of the stands appeal is that it resembles a giant chook pen. On top of the roof, the middle of the three flagpoles has snapped off. Within the stand, there are five bays of seats, each featuring 13 rows of seats. The floor is gloriously wooden.

HERITAGE

In September 2002, Victoria's Heritage Council rejected an application to have the stand included in its heritage register, then recommended that it be included in the City of Melbourne's "heritage overlay". In the Heritage Council's report to the City of Melbourne, it noted that the stand is structurally sound and retains all its original external features. Unlike most Victorian or Edwardian stands, it's made of brick, not wood. Of the grandstands built throughout Victoria a century ago, the Gardiner Stand is one of the few left in Melbourne. Of the grandstands at current or former league football grounds, only the stand at Fitzroy's Brunswick Street Oval, which was built in 1888, is older.

STATUS

The Melbourne City Council, which owns Princes Park, has included the entire stadium in its heritage-overlay. This means that any plans to alter or demolish anything at Princes Park must be approved by council.

PLANS

At the Carlton Football Club's annual general meeting, held on the eve of the season, president Ian Collins told members there was nothing to stop plans to demolish the Gardiner Stand and the Heatley Stand, which was completed in 1932, in order to proceed with building new training and administrative facilities. The club has quoted the plans at $20 million.

STOMPING GROUND

Since the 1992 season, football media identity Tony De Bolfo and two fellow Carlton supporters have combined to become what is known as a guernsey sponsor. On match days, they join fellow sponsors who have been given reserved seats in the Gardiner Stand. "It's the best spot at the ground,"De Bolfo said. "It's quite intimate, being just above the play, and it's always great when the Blues score a goal and everyone stomps on the old weatherboards. Before the game against Collingwood that was billed as the last suburban battle (round 18, 2000), Neil Balme walked towards the bench in front of the Gardiner Stand and I let him have it: 'What are you doing setting foot in this joint? We remember what you did to Southby in 73.' The whole stand got into it. It was very therapeutic. Many years of pent-up anger were released."