#VIS: Inner-City Stadium/Riverbank Precinct

[talrok]

I think definitely on the Western side of city is the go .. I think the other areas would have too many of the NIMBY's kicking up a fuss and nothing would get done (as will be the case anyway) .. whilst Mile End has some beautiful character homes and some streets are the equivalent of your Unley or Parkside .. I feel these residents would kick up less of a fuss if something was built closer to their back yard.

On a further note I know funding is a major issue .. but if AAMI was scraped, surely the land could be sold and the funds used to build a big part of the new stadium .. hell the seats are brand new and these could be slotted into the new stadium without having to buy new ones .. same with the existing screen ... there ya go, just saved probably $500,000 on each of those ... AAMI has the main oval and then 2 or 3 others along side of it .. raising the funds is surely not that hard .. wouldn't we want 500 extra eco friendly homes at lovely West Lakes rather than petrol guzling Munno Parra West!!!! Fark me dead, its not that hard Mr Rann!!!

[Will409]

Having a stadium built on the western side of the CBD would also make sense from a public transport perspective. If you put the stadium near either Mile End of Keswick station, you have access to the stadium from 2 rail lines (Belair and Noarlunga) rather then 1 at the Clispal site (Outer Harbour line at Bowden). If you have the stadium at Keswick, you also have interstate rail access as well as numerous bus routes.

[Tyler_Durden]

Having a stadium built on the western side of the CBD would also make sense from a public transport perspective. If you put the stadium near either Mile End of Keswick station, you have access to the stadium from 2 rail lines (Belair and Noarlunga) rather then 1 at the Clispal site (Outer Harbour line at Bowden). If you have the stadium at Keswick, you also have interstate rail access as well as numerous bus routes.

West Terrace is also probably the best road in the city to handle high volumes of traffic.

[Norman]

West Terrace would also be good because it could start a rejuvination of Mile End.

[Wayno]

If railyard space is a concern, we could reclaim some land and actually make the Torrens lake a lot bigger all the way back to KWS by excavating closer to memorial drive (leaving room for a bike/walking path of course). Introduce a boardwalk + nice features along the southern edge near the stadium. It would obviously mess with the restaurant on the north/west side of the lake (what's it called?), but you know the story about making omelettes...

railyard-stadium.jpg (59.55 KiB) Viewed 2369 times

[monotonehell]

Anyone know of any multi-purpose stadiums that have solved the big oval vs small rectangle situation? perhaps movable lower-tier seating could be a solution? and are multi-purpose stadiums just an australian phenomenon due to cricket/afl vs soccer?

I think you're right that is it just a problem mainly in Australia. And even then only the southern states because the northern states have rugby grounds. Having said that some European soccer stadiums do have athletics tracks around the pitch.

I attended an NBL basketball game in Toronto's Rogers Centre (before the Raptors moved to the Air Canada Centre). It's a huge opening roof dome that seats more than 50,000, where they've also held baseball, Canadian football, exhibition soccer, cricket, gaelic football, Australian Rules Football(!) and two NFL American Bowls. When they're holding small field sports they move a temporary stack of seats out onto the field into one corner to make a more intimate area. So it's perfectly possible.

[Wayno]

Anyone know of any multi-purpose stadiums that have solved the big oval vs small rectangle situation? perhaps movable lower-tier seating could be a solution? and are multi-purpose stadiums just an australian phenomenon due to cricket/afl vs soccer?

I think you're right that is it just a problem mainly in Australia. And even then only the southern states because the northern states have rugby grounds. Having said that some European soccer stadiums do have athletics tracks around the pitch.

I attended an NBL basketball game in Toronto's Rogers Centre (before the Raptors moved to the Air Canada Centre). It's a huge opening roof dome that seats more than 50,000, where they've also held baseball, Canadian football, exhibition soccer, cricket, gaelic football, Australian Rules Football(!) and two NFL American Bowls. When they're holding small field sports they move a temporary stack of seats out onto the field into one corner to make a more intimate area. So it's perfectly possible.

ah! and Adelaide is an expert in demountable seating - could be a plan!

[Wayno]

from the Independent Weekly:

NO NEED FOR A NEW STADIUM
In a perfect world, Adelaide would have a super-duper, all-purpose sports stadium in the city - preferably in the North Terrace rail yards or, to a lesser degree, the west parklands.

Or even at beautiful, spacious Victoria Park, as much as it might be a culture shock for some of those precious inner eastern-suburbs types who can't cope with the thought of a new grandstand on (off?) Greenhill Road.

But who funds this new stadium? Bill Gates? Rupert Murdoch?

Adelaide simply cannot afford a new $1 billion venue for sport. Do we really need it? And we cannot expect a state government to try to fund it when we are concerned, as always, about the salaries of nurses, police, teachers, et al, the facilities at hospitals, the workings of our transport system and the state of our roads and highways.

Another sports ground runs a distant nowhere to all those priorities. (Remember the outrageous cost of a "new", still-inadequate Hindmarsh Stadium?)

So we are left with two major venues - Adelaide Oval and AAMI Stadium (or Football Park, if you listen to or watch the ABC).

Adelaide Oval remains Test cricket's most beautiful ground, and a reminder of eras long gone when compared with the MCG, the SCG and - who would have ever believed? - Brisbane's all-grandstand Gabba where sheep used to graze on grassy mounds during Sheffield Shield matches as recently as the 1960s.

Adelaide Oval is to be updated, thanks to Federal Government (taxpayers') money, and it will boast, among other things, a spiffy new western (members') grandstand.

AAMI Stadium will also have a facelift, with no thanks to governments but with further proof that the South Australian National Football League - with help now from the Australian Football League - has always been able to look after itself, while allowing for some government assistance with matters such as a new scoreboard.

The SANFL has performed wonders with AAMI Stadium, which it chose to develop - proudly - after being such an under-appreciated, but big-earning tenant of the SACA-ruled Adelaide Oval. And the SANFL has reaped the benefits of being able to control its own destiny.

It is true, though, that for all its many qualities, AAMI Stadium looks and feels "a bit tired" when compared with the best that Melbourne, Sydney, Brisbane - and certainly Perth soon - has to offer. And it will still be that way, probably more so, in 10 years, even with some cosmetic changes.

History will show that "the home of SA football" was built in the wrong place, even if it might have seemed the right place at the time - amid a swish, new housing development (on a swamp) in a north-western suburb, but with an unfortunate road system that remains a constant source of frustration for those people who want to go to and from the ground in cars.

Rail (train) access is now the best thing that can happen to and for AAMI Stadium. It is long overdue, and it would please many more people than just those who choose to get their kicks at the footy.

For all that, who do the soccer bosses think they are kidding when they say that neither Adelaide Oval nor AAMI Stadium is good enough to stage a World Cup match?

If such a one-off or two-off event - probably involving Mickey Mouse teams - is to be the reason for supporting a preposterously expensive new sporting stadium in or near Adelaide … well, forget it.

[Edgar]

It's got a point there.

Upgrading of the transport system in this state is far more important at the moment.

[talrok]

Why is the figure of $1 billion always thrown around .. surely it wouldn't cost that much .. its like they are trying to scare the public in saying "Geez, this will cost a lot of money, lets not consider it" .. of course its costly but NOT $1 billion .. why don't we hire Dr Evil as the spokesman for the "NO NEW STADIUM" .. he would love this figure!

I checked some stats on Telstra Dome .. yes the one with the retractable roof, of which we don't really need (but would be nice) .. and they quoted this at costing "$250 million AUD" .. started 1996, completed 2000 .. but you can't tell me the cost of such a stadium has quadrupled in 10 years!!! NO WAY ... and AGAIN, we dont really need a roof, not a necessity .. but even with a roof would NOT be $1 billion ...

Would only be $1 billion if the same contactors who were used to build the retractable Adelaide Oval lights are used for this whole stadium .... woops, we made a mistake ... better start again?!?!?

BUILD IT AND THEY WILL COME .. something we are doing in reverse, however no one is coming, therefore nothing good is getting built.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Telstra_Dome

[crawf]

I heard it cost around $450m

[Edgar]

and not on top of the railyards

[frank1]

Why do people always say Adelaide cannot afford anything? Have they ever heard of the up and coming state boom? It's true that Adelaide doesn't have 1billion in cold hard cash, but now is the time to borrow and invest. How many of the eastern states had billions in cash? Melbourne's boom would have required extensive borrowing and investing as there developments would have cost in the many billions and i seriously doubt they had billions in there ATM.

I think people in Adelaide are still a bit edgy and nervous to invest in major projects as they still hold onto the past of the state bank collapse. Let it go......the past is the past, look to the future.

[Wayno]

Why do people always say Adelaide cannot afford anything? Have they ever heard of the up and coming state boom? It's true that Adelaide doesn't have 1billion in cold hard cash, but now is the time to borrow and invest. How many of the eastern states had billions in cash? Melbourne's boom would have required extensive borrowing and investing as there developments would have cost in the many billions and i seriously doubt they had billions in there ATM.

I think people in Adelaide are still a bit edgy and nervous to invest in major projects as they still hold onto the past of the state bank collapse. Let it go......the past is the past, look to the future.

Sydney is a classic example - apparently building the harbour bridge nearly sent NSW broke, but now they have one of the most iconic constructions in the world. In SA we soon will have the ability to borrow more and keep our AAA rating...

[muzzamo]

That article in the independent weekly is 100% spot on. I agree with every word. Good to see someone with some sense.

Running rail to Aami makes a lot of sense too