[COM] Victoria Park Redevelopment

[Howie]

From the Adelaide Review
http://www.adelaidereview.com.au/issues ... om=&ucat=1&




Motor racing hub revved up
John Bridgland

The state government is in talks that may lead to a spectacular city parklands policy backflip.

It is being lobbied to make a major project determination to fast track a motor racing hub and new 200-metre-long grandstand in Victoria Park.

With the grandstand concept, variously costed at between $30 and $50 million, would come plans for a separate major function area for motor sport visitors, and a large new car park area to the south, in the middle of the park.

The government talks coincide with its recent endorsement of Adelaide City Council’s new
development plan for Victoria Park, featuring new wording which would make feasible the motor race concept. Some wording, particularly in relation to car parking, is different from that which was circulated during public consultations in 2004. It now fits neatly with the motor race concept.

Drawings of the grandstand feature a full-length basement; ground-level garages that could be serviced by up to 19 B-double semi trailers; second-storey full-length corporate boxes and a media centre; and a glass-enclosed third level featuring a Premier’s Suite as well as a “SA Suiteâ€

[Will]

This is a very welcome political backflip by the government.

The parklands were designed for the enjoyment of the citizens of Adelaide. They are not the private gardens or nursing home of the wealthy elite. Motor racing is enjoyed by thousands of South Australians. If it wasn't for events such as the Clipsal 500 or the International Horse Trials, the parklands would become an un-used irrelevant wasteland.

Adelaide needs to have permanent infraestructure for great events such as the Clipsal 500, and for any future return of the Grand Prix to its spiritual home.

[Pants]

Knock yourselves out...

(But nicely)

[Pants]

From the 'tiser:



SAJC QUITS VICTORIA PARK

NEARLY 160 years of inner-city racing has ended after the SA Jockey Club announced last night it would vacate Victoria Park.

At Morphettville tonight SAJC members were told of the board's recommendations and had the opportunity to comment.
The board then adjourned to a specially convened meeting where it resolved to give the Adelaide City Council, in accordance with it lease conditions, one month's notice of its intention to leave Victoria Park.

SAJC chairman Mr John Naffine said it had invested a lot of time, effort and money pursuing a multi-purpose project in conjunction with the State Government and Motor Sport Board of SA only to have those plans rejected by the Adelaide City Council.

"Regrettably the stance taken by the Adelaide City Council has forced the SAJC to reconsider its options," he said.

"And after a thorough review of the financial implications associated with redeveloping Victoria Park it was decided by the Board that it would not be in the interests of racing or the SAJC to invest $20million at Victoria Park for what would now be an inferior building footprint in conjuction with the interruptions associated with motor sport infrastructure."

That $20million would have been for the refurbishment of city course which included a new grandstand and racetrack, giving the SAJC two tracks following the sale of Cheltenham Racecourse.

"The SAJC has considered all scenarios and has no doubt that it has made the right decision ... in the long term the SAJC benefit but more importantly racing as a whole," Mr Naffine added.

Adelaide City Council Lord Mayor Michael Harbison said the SAJC's decision to walk away from Victoria Park was predictable.

"I think it's a sad day for racing, horse racing had a great history in Victoria Park and the parklands generally," Mr Harbison said.

"The decision is not really a surprise. The dye was cast when the multi-use facility for horse racing and motor racing was rejected.

"I can understand that it's not sustainable for the jockey club to invest $20 million into Victoria Park.

He said the council planned to preserve the heritage grandstand and develop the site as an open space recreational area.

"It does offer an opportunity for an open space parklands recreation facility for the public and unlike Cheltenham the site will not be sold and housing will not be built there."

Adelaide Parklands Preservation Association president Jim Daly called on the council to move quickly to develop the site.

"It's up the council now to make the area at Victoria Park into a beautiful public park with a whole range of community activities for a huge range of people," Mr Daly said.

Monies that would otherwise have been invested in Victoria Park will now be spent on installing a second grass racing track at Allan Scott Park Morphettville and increasing prizemoney.

The SAJC has already ordered the grass for a new inner track, estimated to cost $4.5million, and would be in commission by the time Cheltenham closes in March next year.

And it is the club's intention to maximise the use of Allan Scott Park and race there every week of the year, or as programmed by Thoroughbred Racing SA.

"The installation of a second grass track is considered to be a `green' project with particular reference to water requirements," Mr Naffine added. "The SAJC recharges the Aquifer form its wetlands at a greater rate than what it would use for watering two grass tracks."

In addition to another racing surface the SAJC would now also make infrastructure improvements, up-grade training facilities and technoligical improvements to audio visual and real time sectional timing.

TRSA, SA's governing thoroughbred body, has endorsed the SAJC's decision to leave Victoria Park.

The Board's chairman, Mr Philip Bentley said that a total refurbishment and redesign of the existing facilities at Victoria Park was unlikely to yield a break even net return.

"If the SAJC installed a second track at Morphettivlle inside the main track it would save between $250,000 and $500,00 on operating expenses," he said.

Adding that the the $20million needed at Victoria Park could be invested to yield an extra $2million per annum that could be added to stakesmoney, an increase to Saturday metropolitan prizemoney of over $4000 per race, per annum.

"It must be emphasises that the bigges threat to the future of SA racing is its low level of prizemoney compared to other states," he added.

"SA does not have a shortage of venues, it has a shortage of prizemoney and the SAJC's decision to vacate Victoria Park is consistent with the long term interest of the industry."

[JamesXander]

We should tarmac the entire park. Make hundreds of basketball courts. Much better result then a park which will ONLY be used by a select few locals.

'Oh kids lets go down to the park, not any park...VICTORIA PARK...the best park in town'


PFFFT this is the worst outcome ever, we have the opporunity to turn Vic Park into one of the great horse tracks in Aus (Just hunreds of metres from the CBD) but instead we get left with a useless paddock. This is Pathetic.

[jimmy_2486]

lol....its what light wanted isnt it?? hehe

[skyliner]

just fantastic....not happy jan! Jamesxander's las tcomment said it for me.

ADELAIDE - TOWARDS A GREATER CITY SKYLINE

[Pistol]

Harbo you and your colleagues have done an excellent job in setting this city back by at least 100 years! 160 years of proud racing history destroyed - good work.

Once again it is evident that this council is run by a bunch of bumbling idiots.

Oh well it will look good as a sheep paddock - maybe even a dairy farm.

[JamesXander]

I cant see how this can be a win for anyone? I cannot think of one postive out of this at all.

[Pistol]

Well it isn't a win for Adelaide City rate payers who will now have to pay for the upkeep of this area for it to become a 'people's park'. Maybe Jim Daly should cover the associated costs...

[JamesXander]

How can they make it a peoples park. Why should they spend money on that part of the parklands?

Its so ridiculous. I just cant wait for the APPA's next target... :wank:

[monotonehell]

I cant see how this can be a win for anyone? I cannot think of one postive out of this at all.

Come on where's that ANZAC spirit? Turn the frown upside down (and other platitudes).
Look at it this way, now we have a section of the parklands freed for redevelopment into something else.

That's a positive thing... isn't it?

We can build a Word Class Stadium there now!

*starts bulldozer*

[JamesXander]

But they are preserving the Grand Stand. I don't care if its old, if there is no longer going to be any races their is no point to it (Dont shoot me down here). They are responsible for Horse Racing in Vic Park dieing, why should they be able to keep a relic which Horse Racing helped build.



We now have land for a sports stadium though. Although the hippy in me would want it to be green and eco friendly, not a concrete jungle.

[monotonehell]

But they are preserving the Grand Stand. I don't care if its old, if there is no longer going to be any races their is no point to it (Dont shoot me down here). They are responsible for Horse Racing in Vic Park dieing, why should they be able to keep a relic which Horse Racing helped build.

I'm also in two minds on it. It's old and delapodated, so I'm reving up the bulldozer. But on the other hand it's heritage and might be able to be incorporated into a small playing field of some sort on the outskirts of whatever development goes in there.

We now have land for a sports stadium though. Although the hippy in me would want it to be green and eco friendly, not a concrete jungle.

Hear hear! I'd want it to look good, be 'green', and fit in with whatever part of Adelaide it ends up in. It can be a striking design, but must harmonise with its surroundings. Good design includes Contrast AND Harmony in the proper proportions.

Concrete is so '70's. Look at Festival Plaza. It just looks carbuncle these days.

[JamesXander]

Perhaps a bubble stadium, totally enclosed, a slight dark green. Like the colour of a gum leaf. The bubble collects all water to be used for the oval inside, and to maybe even store under the ground (Genious I know). Solar panels on top. Sounds gun to me.