Edward Joseph McGuire...

[yob]

Eddie McGuire reveals $1b plan to replace Etihad Stadium with new indoor venue near MCG
March 8, 2016 9:00pm
MICHAEL WARNER



An artist’s impression of Eddie McGuire’s proposed Victoria Stadium on the site of Hisense Arena. Background image: Google Earth


ETIHAD Stadium would be bulldozed and a new $1 billion footy stadium built next door to the MCG under a radical plan pushed by Collingwood president Eddie McGuire.

“Victoria Stadium” would boast a retractable roof and a capacity of up to 60,000.

The preferred site is at Hisense Arena, which would be relocated above the railway lines.

Key stakeholders including Premier Daniel Andrews have been briefed on McGuire’s proposal to revamp the Olympic Park precinct.

“The talks are serious — and it gives us an opportunity to decide what the next plan is for our city,” McGuire said.

Andrews told the Herald Sun: “The MCG, Melbourne and Olympic Park stadiums are the envy of the world, but in a competitive market we can’t sit back and let others pass us by.

“I encourage fresh thinking and innovative ideas to enhance our sporting arenas. Eddie is a passionate Victorian with a love of our great game and a vision for our major sporting precinct.”

McGuire has spent 12 months working on the concept and has held talks with the State Government, Melbourne Cricket Club, city planners, developers and financiers.

It’s an alternative that is bigger than just a footy stadium, it gives us an opportunity to reshape and remodel Melbourne for the next 50 to 100 years

The new stadium would sit alongside the MCG, AAMI Park and Melbourne Park to form the world’s greatest sporting hub.

McGuire’s vision includes moving the Richmond train station underground and a tunnel to replace Olympic Boulevard.

But the McGuire master plan is dependent on the sale of Etihad Stadium, which the AFL will buy back for just $30 in March, 2025.

Funds would also be raised from the sale of public land such as the train station, infrastructure bonds and government loans.

“The AFL have gone into a fair bit of detail on the rebuild of Etihad Stadium, which is a fair and reasonable position, but we’re looking at an opportunity to bullet-proof the AFL, particularly the Victorian-based clubs,” McGuire said.

McGuire said the new stadium would be run by a joint AFL-MCC super trust.

More than 236,000 people on the MCC waiting list would be eligible for membership, he said.

“It’s the chance to once and for all put aside the warring factions in our town,” McGuire said.

“The MCC and the AFL coming together with rugby league, soccer, entertainment and concerts. All those things being housed in the right location.

“This would be a state-of-the-art stadium that could have as big an impact as the original decision to build the MCG over 150 years ago.

“We’ll get one chance of getting this 100 per cent right.”

He said the removal of Etihad Stadium would open up Docklands and better connect the CBD to the troubled precinct.

McGuire first discussed his concept with the Premier late last year.

“If we want to keep Victoria’s reputation for having the best of everything, it’s certainly worth considering how to make the most of Melbourne’s premier sports and major events precinct,” Andrews said.



McGUIRE’S MASTER PLAN

* New 60,000-seat stadium near MCG

* Shift Hisense Arena

* Bulldoze Etihad Stadium

* Underground Richmond train station

* Olympic Boulevard road tunnel

[dibo]

The biggest beneficiaries here are property developers surely, who will look at the Docklands site with some enthusiasm.

[bazza]

why not just get rid of Etihad and play all games at the MCG - you can put a roof on that if you like

[yob]

The biggest beneficiaries here are property developers surely, who will look at the Docklands site with some enthusiasm.

Yeah developers would love to see a total nutcase write off a 15 year old football stadium so they can squeeze some profit for themselves from the land it sits on.

What a colossal waste.

[cam]

The less heard about this, the better. Eddie's idea, no one else's. Will never happen. The comments on austadiums facebook say it all. And don't forget to vote on the news article on the homepage.

[gyfox]

[IanRitchie]

Move Hisense Arena?

I see helicopters involved? Or is that a way of saying it'll cost the f***ing earth and therefore saying move is better than rebuild in an extremely expensive way?

[yob]

Undergrounding a railway and station in Perth cost $360 million.

Building federation Sq over rail lines cost over $500 million.

Eddie wants to sink 8 lines and build a stadium over it.

[IanRitchie]

Oh yeah. Pocket change.

[HoldenV8]

What's the best, just like moving the athletics field to Lakeside and freeing up Olympic Park to be made into a training oval, that a new stadium would greatly benefit Collingwood, especially financially.

Eddie doesn't do anything unless it benefits the Magpies.

[yob]

Now Richmond proposes the redevelopment of Punt Rd Oval to 40k for 380 million and retaining Jihad stadium

[dibo]

At least that makes some rough sense.