Brookvale Oval upgrade one step closer
Manly Sea Eagles is one step closer to locking in a $33 million upgrade of Brookvale Oval.
The NRL club has confirmed it has secured funding for the entire project, which will see the construction of a new 3,000-seat northern grandstand and centre of excellence.
Northern Beaches Council agreed to enter into a long-term lease arrangement with the Sea Eagles, who have called the venue home since 1947, at its meeting last week.
Lottoland, as the ground is officially known as due to a commercial naming rights agreement, is widely regarded as having some of the poorest facilities in the NRL, and while this upgrade won’t be a complete overhaul for the aging ground, it will provide some much-needed modern facilities for the Sea Eagles.
Various redevelopment proposals have been mooted for the northern beaches ground in the past, including a new 23,000-seat stadium to replacing the existing ground back in 2015 which also included two towers for commercial and residential use.
The current proposal was first announced in February 2019 and are quite modest compared to other more ambitious proposals for the venue. The new grandstand at the northern end will include 3,000 undercover seats to boost the seating capacity of the venue.
It will also include food and drink facilities; a state-of-the-art gym; rehabilitation pools and multipurpose education facilities.
Mayor Michael Regan said he was happy with the way negotiations were headed.
“I’m pleased with staff’s negotiations with the Sea Eagles and look forward to it progressing and going forward,” Cr Regan said.
“The development application is currently under assessment and is expected to go to a planning panel in coming months.
The Sea Eagles had hoped the new facility would be completed by 2021 but updated timelines remain uncertain.
Manly open their 2020 NRL campaign against the Melbourne Storm at Lottoland on Sunday and will play 10 home games at the venue during the season – they’ll also host one game at Central Coast Stadium and one at Suncorp Stadium as part of Magic Round. Brookvale will also host a NSW Waratahs Super Rugby game on May 2.
