McDonald Jones Stadium Redevelopment
Following the completed of the Eastern Grandstand at Newcastle's Hunter Stadium, the next phase of the stadium redevelopment was rebuilding the Western side of the ground. This will completed in three stages with work completed in late 2011.
Hunter Stadium (formerly EnergyAustralia Stadium) has been given a new life, no longer the drab, boring stadium, it will now become a state of the art stadium for 27,000 one eyed Newcastle supporters, signalling the start of a new era of sport in the Hunter valley. The stadium will become the premier sports venue in Northern New South Wales.
The venue, a state of the art complex is being developed over several stages. At present the demolishing, electrical works and construction is underway with the eastern stand due to be finished by March 2004. The eastern stand will hold 7,700 people and will add to the assets already managed by Hunter International Sports Trust.
Other developments include the addition of a new scoreboard, providing seats for the northern and southern goal ends and remedial work in the Western Grandstand, which includes updating media facilities. The stadium is long overdue; as the Stadium, did not enjoy wide support due to the outdated set-out of the stadium.
The stadium will attract International events to the Hunter Region and the large population will benefit from the attractive spectator-friendly stadium. The stadium will act as a home for the Newcastle Knights in the winters and Newcastle United in the summers, who both enjoy wide support from the 600,000 citizens in the region.
Hunter ISC president Ted Atchison says the stadium will benefit the local economy with the announcement of construction firm Parmenter Jiear Builders constructing the stadium. “This project is for the people of the hunter”. The community is behind this due to the strong demand for the Hunter Region to have an international quality stadium. Energy Australia Stadium will now be able to attract significant events to the region, which were lost due to the stadium being of poorer class then stadiums nearby such as Central Coast in Gosford.
The stadium in Newcastle will become World-renowned, with Novocastrians able to watch sport in a stadium that is conductive for rectangular sports, something which will delight the very passionate Novocastrians.
