Construction work will begin next year to make WIN Stadium the first fully integrated sporting venue, conference centre and hotel complex in Australia by 2006.

One of the features of the $37 million redevelopment is that half of the rooms in the hotel to be built at WIN Stadium will look out over the football field, allowing fans to watch their team from the comfort of their hotel room.

The design concept, approved by the Wollongong Sportsground Trust, comprises extensive changes to WIN Stadium including:

• Demolition of the existing western grandstand
   
• Construction of a new western grandstand including 2500 general seats, 20 corporate boxes, media facilities and food and beverage outlets
   
• Construction of four retail outlet spaces fronting Harbour Street
   
• 100-room four-star hotel including meeting rooms, gymnasium and roof-top plunge pool
   
• Construction of a pedestrian bridge across Harbour Street between the grandstand and the Steelers Club
   
• Provision of new player change rooms within the existing southern grandstand
   
• Construction of a 350-space car park on the No.2 oval site
   
• Construction of a new training oval on the carpark roof deck
   
• Relocation of the existing electrical substation and ground light towers

The Trust believe the western grandstand and hotel project will provide significant opportunity for jobs growth in the Illawarra, as well as opening up a series of new revenue streams, once completed, totalling $2.1 million per year.

Once in operation, the hotel, retail and other commercial activities are expected to employ several hundred further full-time and casual workers on an ongoing basis.

The new-look WIN Stadium is expected to offer world-class sporting facilities enabling it to attract national and international events to the Illawarra as well as becoming one of the prime conference destinations in NSW.