New stand for UTAS Stadium in stage one of redevelopment
Stage one of the UTAS Stadium redevelopment has been announced, with a new Eastern Grandstand to increase the seating capacity by 1,000.
The $65 million upgrade, unveiled by the Tasmanian Government on Tuesday, is the first stage of a three-stage redevelopment of the Launceston venue.
The new grandstand and entertainment precinct will replace the existing grandstand on the eastern/outer side of the ground, which was constructed from temporary grandstands and is in need of an upgrade.
It’ll feature hospitality and food and beverage facilities, while improved facilities for players and coaches, including refurbished change rooms and interchange benches, will also form part of the upgrade.
Tasmanian Premier Jeremy Rockliff said it would provide “more contemporary infrastructure to take us forward”.
“It's been many, many years since a significant upgrade of this magnitude and it's very timely and secures footy for the north,” he said.
Construction will start later this year and is expected to be finished in early 2025.
A major $208 million upgrade of UTAS Stadium was first revealed in February 2021, including increasing its capacity to 27,500 and building an adjoining 5000-seat indoor arena.
Despite the funding being announced last year as part of a Tasmanian Liberal election promise, the second and third stages of the project remain unfunded.
The Premier said he is continuing to lobby for the additional $65 million needed from the federal government so that the second stage can go ahead.
The proposed second stage of the UTAS Stadium upgrade will replace the hill and Northern temporary stand with a new permanent grandstand, while the third stage will replace the Southern temporary stand with a new stand and the include a three-court indoor basketball stadium that can concert into a 5000-seat show court.
The Tasmanian government is also seeking $240 million from the federal government for the new Macquarie Point stadium in Hobart, while talks are underway to boost the capacity of MyState Bank Arena.
The announcement of the stage one upgrade of UTAS Stadium coincided with news that the Tasmanian Government’s deal with the Hawthorn Football Club to play home games in Launceston had been extended by a further two years, while the club will play a pre-season match against Collingwood on March 2.
