[COM] Adelaide Oval Redevelopment

[iTouch]

ah crap, I think we fed the troll :/

[rev]

Watching the 'Amazing Adelaide' replay of the 2006 test during the rain delay was too sad - back then there were almost enough seats in the tent for all the members, toilets that (whilst dated) actually worked and members who didn't treat the oval like a rubbish dump/after-party venue. Try getting from one end of the new stand to the other if you're on an upper level - it's so stupid that you have to go up and down several levels to get there. Did you want to use a toilet near the members bar? Bad luck, there isn't one on that level. Several of the older members nearly collapsed trying to climb to the top of the stand. The lifts weren't working and what the @^*# is with the southern expressway style of escalators? Come on - at least one going downwards would be good! Clearly we can't have escalators going to the top of the stand, that would just confuse the travellers just in from the airport where we have 50M of travelators in a 1km walkway! Once again Adelaide - you've done a half-assed job and lost a beautiful old piece of architecture in favour of a concrete stadium that could be anywhere in the world.

It's a blandstand not a grandstand.

There's 5 elevators, 4 escalators, and a shit load of stairs. Which provide access to all four levels.
No toilet nearby? Perhaps you would have liked it if every seat also doubled as a toilet? Maybe you'd also like your seat to be an elevator too, that also zooms you to your car so you don't have to walk?
Boohoo, you have to spend 30-40 seconds walking to a toilet and back. Gosh, what's the world coming to, we still have to walk?

Grow a set and man up.

Oh and FYI, there are toilets on the top level behind the top tier(level 3). If instead of expecting a toilet within a few meters of your seat, you bothered to open your eyes and have a look, you might have noticed them, instead of going to the ground floor.


More rubbish as opposed to 2006? Well duhh, there's more people at the ground now then in 2006.
And if you are, for some reason, insinuating that in 2006 the members, and general public, did not drop their plastic cups and what not on the ground, then you are sorely mistaken.
The members are generally much worse then the general public. Both in terms of arrogance and rudeness, and the way they treat their surrounds.
You will find a hell of a lot more plastic cups and other rubbish dropped on the ground behind the western grand stand(EXCLUSIVELY FOR MEMBERS ONLY), then you will on the eastern side were the general public are restricted too. The "Hill" isn't even as filthy as behind the western grand stand at the end of the night.


As for the old grand stand being a beautiful old piece of architecture, well it certainly was old, but it was far from beautiful. It was almost derelict.

And hey, some of those red seats have cup holders, cos you know, it's too much of an effort to hold your drink or put it on the ground at your feet.

[stumpjumper]

Interesting comment today by Rob Gerard, post failed 2022 World Cup bid. He's suggesting dropping the rest (ie unbuilt eastern component) of the Adelaide Oval redevelopment and construction of a stadium perhaps in the west Park Lands.

[Isiskii]

Interesting comment today by Rob Gerard, post failed 2022 World Cup bid. He's suggesting dropping the rest (ie unbuilt eastern component) of the Adelaide Oval redevelopment and construction of a stadium perhaps in the west Park Lands.

Wouldn't be such a bad idea. The moment of opportunity is still there to do it.

[metro]

I reckon they will continue the Adelaide Oval rebuild even though Australia lost the WC bid for 2022. The libs would look very stupid to keep running with their own city stadium plans at the next state election 'if' the labor govt have the new RAH and Adelaide Ovals eastern stands half finished by then (better this be discussed in a few years).

The western parklands isnt such a bad idea either, perhaps reserve some land near Etsa Park/Santos Stadium for a new Soccer Arena for if Australia wins a world cup.

[SRW]

Interesting comment today by Rob Gerard, post failed 2022 World Cup bid. He's suggesting dropping the rest (ie unbuilt eastern component) of the Adelaide Oval redevelopment and construction of a stadium perhaps in the west Park Lands.

How is that interesting?

[Paulns]

stumpjumper wrote:
Interesting comment today by Rob Gerard, post failed 2022 World Cup bid. He's suggesting dropping the rest (ie unbuilt eastern component) of the Adelaide Oval redevelopment and construction of a stadium perhaps in the west Park Lands.
How is that interesting?

Because as one of Adelaide's most prominent businessman and one of the biggest backers of Adelaide United and the North Adelaide Football Clubs, what he says has a lot of clout behind it. It doesnt necessarily mean it's going to happen but its an opinion that people (Politicians) stand up and listen too.

The Article -

SCRAP the Adelaide Oval upgrade and build a new city stadium, says leading businessman Rob Gerard.

Gerard - one of South Australia's richest men, Adelaide Football Club's patron and owner of Adelaide United - is adamant leaving Adelaide as a one-stadium city would be a horrible mistake.

He says the $535 million allocated by the State Government to a new Adelaide Oval could be coupled with the sale of the AAMI Stadium site at West Lakes and put toward the cost of building a new stand-alone roofed stadium, perhaps in the western parklands.

This would leave the recently-revamped Adelaide Oval with its world-renowned character and charm.

"Yeah that's the go," he told the Sunday Mail this week. "To me, it is, that's the go. But it's to convince the powers that be.

"Someone might say we can't afford two (stadia) but why don't we try and build towards that. AAMI Stadium's not falling apart yet so we can still use this one (the Oval) and AAMI Stadium over the next five or six years. My advice is let's not rush everything. We've just finished the mighty Adelaide Oval, let's have it for a couple of years and see how it goes. Keep AAMI going well and I think we're there."

Australia's failure to win the right to host the 2022 World Cup this week robbed the state of more than $200 million in federal funding towards a stadium upgrade.

While the State Government and South Australian Cricket Association have stressed the Oval upgrade did not rely on federal funding and was still on track, Mr Gerard's call has the potential to drastically change the landscape because of the prominence he carries in the state.

And there is still time to consider his suggestion.

Despite a vow by cricket and football in December last year to unite at an upgraded Adelaide Oval by 2014, both the SACA and the Adelaide Crows are yet to fully commit to the project.

SACA members are not expected to vote on the upgrade until at least February next year, while the Crows want more information about a range of issues, including car parking and the need for a second stadium to accommodate football and cricket during crossover periods.

Gerard's proposal, which is similar to one presented by the Liberal Party before the state election in March, appears to solve the Crows' concerns by giving them a new home base in the city.

"Adelaide needs two stadiums, that's my opinion," said Gerard, who is a noted Liberal Party donor.

"I think there's room for a stadium in the city and another stadium. I don't think we can play all our sports at one stadium.

"I don't see any other state making that sacrifice. There are two stadiums in Perth.

"You're going to have stadiums in the Gold Coast and Brisbane. Sydney's got their two, three stadiums. Melbourne's got four or five. To suddenly jump and have one stadium only?

"That's not on. There are plenty of sites. I was a great one for suggesting the other day the new one could be where the Adelaide High School is. But there are a million different options."

After watching Adelaide host the second Ashes Test between Australia and England this week, Gerard is reluctant to continue to change one of the world's most picturesque grounds.

"I think sitting at the cricket, it was wonderful to see what they've done," he said.

"It's the greatest set-up. You can still see the Hills. You can see the other tents, you can see the Chappell stands, you can see the cathedral, you've still got your Moreton Bays (fig trees). You had 38,000 (the first-day Test crowd), which is enough.

"And really at the end of the day, it's enough for my soccer, it's enough for rugby, it's enough for cricket, it's enough for Port Adelaide. You need another 10,000 for the Crows. . . (so) you can get an indoor stadium and it's all over then, isn't it."

But Gerard does not expect soccer club Adelaide United to be a regular tenant. "At United at the moment, where we are is a good stadium (Hindmarsh), and we don't often fill that," he said. "And we can have some games at the Adelaide Oval.

"That can hold 38,000 comfortably and we'd struggle to get more than that at any game."

http://www.adelaidenow.com.au/sport/spo ... 5969477757

[AtD]

[Will]

Because as one of Adelaide's most prominent businessman and one of the biggest backers of Adelaide United and the North Adelaide Football Clubs, what he says has a lot of clout behind it. It doesnt necessarily mean it's going to happen but its an opinion that people (Politicians) stand up and listen too.

He is also a member and significant donor of the Liberal party. Hence his opinion is biased and based on ideology. I do not think the government will pay any attention to it.

[dsriggs]

Who's selling land in the Western Parklands?

[Professor]

From the members dining room - the Cathederal end

[Professor]

Looking south and south east from the members area

[ricecrackers]

Because as one of Adelaide's most prominent businessman and one of the biggest backers of Adelaide United and the North Adelaide Football Clubs, what he says has a lot of clout behind it. It doesnt necessarily mean it's going to happen but its an opinion that people (Politicians) stand up and listen too.

He is also a member and significant donor of the Liberal party. Hence his opinion is biased and based on ideology. I do not think the government will pay any attention to it.

regardless however, his opinion does make sense
Adelaide Oval will be a ridiculous compromise. Playing AFL, Cricket and Soccer on the same ground simply will not be in the best interests of any of those sports.

in Brisbane they have the Gabba which is often a cause for injury to AFL players due to its permanent cricket pitch.
in Melbourne they have the drop in pitch which more often than not results in completely dull games of cricket being played at that ground due to the lifelessness of the pitch. Soccer is only played there perhaps once every 4 years and often less than ideal due to the uneven nature of the surface. so they have Etihad and AAMI now.

[Xeno]

Yes I did notice that there were 5 elevators and 4 escalators, good counting btw , unfortunately 1 elevator was used solely for staff and the other 4 were either not functional or so slow that people gave up and used the stairs. And congrats to you and your friends who are clearly not very young/disabled/elderly - the western grandstand was designed for you. There is no question that the view is brilliant and the seats are more comfortable, but the cost ($ and loss of irreplaceable features) wasn't worth it in my opinion - assuming it's OK to have an opinion in this forum, other than 'wow it's great'.

A majority of the members who want to see live cricket, get there early to hold their seat and then head down to the bar/food area - for some reason SACA didn't anticipate this or they may have had two 'up escalators' and two 'down' to manage the traffic chaos.

If you were lucky enough to squeeze into the members bar there was a major problem with toilet access - where else are you refused re-entry to a bar if you need to leave to go to a toilet? You may be correct in your description of the latest batch of members - the carpet in the members bar was disgusting by the end of the first day and who really cares if this was due to the poor behaviour of members or lack of bins/cleaners or all of the above. I really don't expect/desire a toilet next to my seat, and had no problem finding them, but would prefer one that works when I get there!

The new grandstand has allowed the numbers of members to increase significantly and without any vetting process in place. It shows. Perhaps thats why SACA chose to spend the staff budget on security instead of cleaners?

Clearly some of these issues are teething problems, but if they are so obvious on the first day of the test it's pretty disappointing that they are not addressed by the last day.

[ricecrackers]

i hate to be the elephant in the room, but after seeing this thing in commission, i'd have to say i'm not a big fan of its design. its completely at odds with its surroundings and whether the second phase is built or not, the plans i've seen do not result in a particularly attractive looking venue.

i fear we've settled for second best with this stadium and we're going to be around a half billion dollars worse off for the result.