Soccer's $270m grand Adelaide plan
Adelaide United has become the state's first major sporting club to back plans for a new city-based sporting stadium - and has signalled its intention to build a $270 million, 45,000 seat soccer stadium on the fringe of Bonython Park.
United chairman Dario Fontanarosa unveiled his plans exclusively to the Sunday Mail this week and revealed he had been working on the project for two years after visiting Germany during the 2006 World Cup.
His model is based on a stadium in Frankfurt which hosted the World Cup quarter-final between Brazil and France.
Mr Fontanarosa, who is also group chief executive of Bianco Building Supplies, said United and the game were being held back by continuing to play at Hindmarsh Stadium.
"The reason people don't come to our games is that unless you come in a cab it's hard to get there," he said.
"Look at Adelaide Oval, 26,000 (for December's game against Sydney) and people turned away. So people want to come to a city stadium."
Adelaide averaged about 12,000 a game at Hindmarsh last season but Mr Fontanarosa believes a new easily accessible stadium would see that number grow.
He has earmarked a spot where the current police barracks stand as his favoured option, which is bound on one side by Port Rd and on the other by the River Torrens. It would also encroach on Bonython Park.
Mr Fontanarosa said he was currently working on a business plan, which he expected to be completed next month, but acknowledged that such a facility would need state and federal government funding. He said his plans would include a hotel complex, which would also house bars, cafes, shops and cinemas.
"It's an entertainment precinct which would be used all year round," he said.
He said that by building a soccer-only stadium costs could be contained to well below the $1.1 billion being spent by the WA Government on its new facility.
He also said SA was suffering because it did not have an adequate facility to host big soccer games such as a World Cup qualifier or even an A-League Grand Final.
"There will be three World Cup qualifiers held in Australia and none will be held in Adelaide," he said.
Meanwhile, the Adelaide 2050 group has identified the Keswick railyards as a site for an international sporting precinct. The trio of leading architects has proposed a Melbourne Docklands-style stadium and a separate soccer stadium on top of the existing rail terminal.
A new Olympic-standard netball venue would be located on the northern intersection of Anzac Hwy and Richmond Rd and land would be available for a new basketball and entertainment centre.
The existing interstate rail terminal would be relocated to Adelaide Station in favour of a new suburban passenger light rail station.
Adelaide 2050 member Mario Dreosti said the sporting hub would be built on existing infrastructure and under-utilised land.
"The result is a cohesive, accessible and master-planned sports precinct which fosters opportunities for medium and high density residential development and adjacent urban regeneration," he said.
