320 million Indoor Stadium for Perth

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Egan
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320 million Indoor Stadium for Perth

Post by Egan »

www.thewest.com.au

Indoor arena cost hits $320m
28th August 2006, 8:00 WST

The cost of Perth’s new multi-purpose indoor stadium has blown out another $70 million to $320 million after the State Government added a multi-storey 680-bay carpark to be built on top of the rail line.

The latest design for the 14,000-seat stadium — to be called Perth Arena — was unveiled by Alan Carpenter yesterday to a new barrage of criticism over the carpark, which the Premier conceded was an afterthought.

The stadium has been upgraded with 40 corporate suites and a forecourt able to host outdoor concerts, Hopman Cup practice courts and big screens for events such as sell-out football matches and telecasts of overseas events like the recent soccer World Cup.

Since the arena was first proposed as a public-private partnership, the cost to taxpayers has risen from $50 million to $160 million when Labor decided to go it alone in 2005, to $195 million in the May Budget and then $250 million last month.

“Originally we were looking at a facility of around about $160 million based on similar-sized venues with a retractable roof,” Mr Carpenter said.

“When we had a closer look we thought it was more likely to be $190 million. But we improved the design, we put in place more corporate suites, hence $250 million, plus $70 million for the carpark.”

The carpark, demanded by several future stadium users including millionaire Perth Wildcats owner Jack Bendat, will be between the arena and Roe Street above the rail line.

CityVision chairman Ken Adam said he was appalled at the carpark design, describing it as “an extraordinary bad piece of planning”.

“It’s another example of doing something half-cocked because you are in a hurry,” Mr Adam said.

“There was never any planning for a carpark and now the Government has been pressured into doing something. It clearly doesn’t fit and it will be another barrier between Perth and Northbridge.”

Lord Mayor Peter Nattrass said having a carpark visible from the road was a negative aspect.

“It would be something the City of Perth, and I’m pretty sure the East Perth Redevelopment Authority, would oppose,” Dr Nattrass said.

Another problem for the Government will be how to use the adjoining land — Housing and Works Minister Michelle Roberts and Planning and Infrastructure Minister Alannah MacTiernan disagree on the issue.

Ms MacTiernan has been pushing for inner-city housing to be part of the project but proponents of the arena — who have the ear of Mrs Roberts — want future residents kept away, fearing a repeat of the noise restrictions which plagued the Burswood Dome after housing was built nearby.

Opposition Leader Paul Omodei said it was another Government project that could get out of control with two ministers not agreeing with each other over inner-city living.

“Obviously MacTiernan wants inner-city living around the stadium and I think Roberts has a slightly different point of view, but they just seem to be in conflict at the moment,” Mr Omodei said.

Hopman Cup operations manager Andrew Firman said Perth Arena would guarantee that the world-class tennis event would stay in Perth.

Graham Mason, Robert Taylor and Daniel Emerson

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Post by rileystuart »

i dont get it.

stadium is fantastic, but they have been cranking on about how biug the divide between the CBD and northbridge is, from the trainlines, and how it has to be fixed. So they spend all this money on a hugh project to sink them, and get them to begin to amalgamate, however, no it seems they will replace trainlines with carpark.

WHAT A FUCKIN JOKE. HOW ABOUT THIS FOR AN IDEA....

everyone gets the f**k out of their cars which they love so much, and use public transport. Urban sprawl will be the death of me. we dont want carparks, we want appartments in the city...

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Post by Egan »

Meh, The Northbridge/Perth City divide will never be solved, Northbridge and the CBD have developed a culture all their own.

Sinking the railway will not spark the cultural shift they are looking at...but personally I see no problems with the general feel of Northbridge and the CBD being different.

But if it means the Wildcats play out of the arena, which is vital for the viability of the venue...I am all for the carpark.

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Post by docker »

i love the design of it, and i don't see whhy the opposition are attacking the government over the cost, well what do they expect, build something for 50mil and be the best in the nation. i ahve no worries about the cost, and i would hope the ground level of the car park is a pedestrian mall which allows flow between the cbd and northbridge.

and people might use the pub trans to it if there was a station under the car park, even though central is about 500m away.

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Post by Egan »

There will be Murray St about 250 m away...there will be 2 stations very easy walking distance from the venue.

Will be good to see Basketball crowds return to what they where pre-Challenge Stadium.

Basketball in CBD, I will be very surprised if it averages less then 6,000.

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Post by docker »

i forgot, i also like the idea of the big screens, at last we can have somewhere to go to watch big events on a big screen with a huge crowd instead of pubs.

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Post by Sathc »

Looks like the cost increase also is aimed at making the venue itself a better facility.

Here's another WA Government media release.
Perth Arena: WA's new $250million entertainment and sports venue


27/8/06

Premier Alan Carpenter today unveiled the new name and latest design for Perth's state-of-the-art indoor entertainment and sports venue.

Mr Carpenter said Perth Arena had been chosen as the new name for the complex, which would be built on the Northbridge site next to the old Entertainment Centre, linking Perth and Northbridge for the first time.

The Premier also released the latest interior and exterior designs for the new venue, which would include a retractable roof, more than 500 corporate seats and a multi-storey carpark.

"The Perth Arena will soon join other major venues across the world as a household name in leading entertainment and indoor sports venues," Mr Carpenter said.

"It is in the heart of the city and close to all major transport hubs.

"Perth Arena will provide a minimum of 12,000 seats for sporting events and up to 14,000 for concerts, ensuring that Western Australia attracts world-class performers and international sporting events."

Mr Carpenter said Perth Arena would become the new home for the Hopman Cup and would be fitted with a fully retractable roof.

The $250million indoor arena has been upgraded from the original design and will now include:

40 corporate suites, up from the initial plan for 18;
an upmarket club lounge;
a strengthened roof structure to increase the versatility of the venue; and
improved lighting.
The Premier said the State Government had also committed $70million to the new 680-bay multi-storey carpark to be built over the nearby railway line.

"The location of the carpark and the multi-purpose forecourt area are similar to Federation Square in Melbourne," he said.

"The arena's forecourt has been designed to host many different events such as outdoor concerts and the Hopman Cup practice courts.

"The forecourt will also enable the public to gather and celebrate major special events such as the World Cup football, the AFL grand final and the Olympic Games by including large video screens in the area."

Housing and Works Minister Michelle Roberts said Perth Arena would be an iconic building which would put WA on the map as an attractive venue for both international and national events.

"The State Government has worked closely with key stakeholders to ensure that Perth Arena will meet the diverse needs of WA's entertainment, sporting, tourism and events industries," Mrs Roberts said.

"In the final design, the number of corporate suites has also been more than doubled from 18 to 40 or more than 500 corporate seats.

"This also provides the opportunity for increased revenue and ensures the arena remains viable in the long-term.

"Other extra features include better broadcast quality lighting and a stronger roof structure that will allow an even greater range of events to be staged in the venue.

"The spectacular design of Perth Arena will ensure it will be a significant landmark for years to come."

The arena was designed by a group of leading architects comprising Melbourne-based Ashton Raggatt McDougall (ARM), the American firm RTKL and local Perth firm Cameron Chisholm and Nicol (CCN).

Perth Arena is scheduled to go to tender in December 2006, with construction expected to begin in April next year and the venue opening its doors in 2009.

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Re: 320 million Indoor Stadium for Perth

Post by sandyhill »

... Indoor arena cost hits $320m
28th August 2006, 8:00 WST

The cost of Perth’s new multi-purpose indoor stadium has blown out another $70 million to $320 million[/b] ...
This is making Melbourne's Olympic Park new stadium and redevelopment seem cheap!
Last edited by sandyhill on Mon Aug 28, 2006 9:32 pm, edited 1 time in total.

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Post by Egan »

Have you got any images of inside the stadium...I really couldn't care what it looks like on the outside.

Yeah Sandyhill, this is a stadium to become a momentus building in Perth, the WA Government and Perth people in general have this whole Dullsville thing that they try and put to rest...me personally I think its a load of crock that was first touted by a dodgy newspaper.

So the stadium is being spent on not just because we are in desperate need of it, but its to start to create a landmark building for Perth...try to build some soul into the CBD.

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Post by sandyhill »

I get it - just like Federation Square, but with an indoor stadium instead of an art gallery. 8)

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Post by Egan »

Yeah sort of, even in the press release its being used as something like Melbourne's Federation Square.

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Post by Rob »

At least Carpenter's got the balls to do something like this, something Gallop would never have done in a million years.

Good signs for the much more important stadium.


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Post by tom »

Image

I don't like the interior. Would have like to have seen the 2nd teir in a horse shoe rather than at just one end. Call me bias but I would have liked the arena to have payed more attention to Basketball than Tennis (I hate watching tennis). Would have liked some sort of mini NBA arena not unlike the Hartwell arena in Helsinkior the Color line Arena in Hamburg.
Well the exterior is noticable to say the least. I guess what pisses me off is that were spending $250 million on the Arena (no inclueding carpark) yet I doubt anyone will consider it a more attractive or just plain better arena than the Acer Arena which cost less at $200 million when completed for 2000.

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Post by Egan »

Very unique design...it definitely has Tennis in its design format, would have liked a Velodrome to be able to be incorporated into the stadium format.

I love the multi-coloured seats!

I think Tennis though is the money maker for this stadium, Hopman Cup draws huge crowds and this stadium will more then likely be Perth's Davis Cup venue for Clay and Hardcourt Ties...I think Royal Kings Park will still play a part for the less important ties and for Grass Court events.

Basketball is the last priority as it won't draw or deliver the economic developments the government wants as Tennis will.

It also is mainly being built for concerts...rather then sport...

EDIT - Tom most of the money was spent on a retractable roof...Not that I agree with that expenditure...but it certainly seems to be more of a 'concert' venue rather then an Indoor Sports arena as the other stadia you have mentioned.

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