Expressions of interest (EOI’s) are being sought for principal consultants to put forward design teams to kick-off work on the AUD$250m North Queensland Stadium.
Aberdeen Football Club Chairman, Stewart Milne, has revealed plans for a new stadium and training facility at Kingsford, situated adjacent to the Aberdeen – Westhill road (A944) and just 200 metres from the new AWPR junction.
According to reports in Arabian Business, Bahrain is planning to build its biggest integrated sports stadium, set to feature an international standard football pitch, an underground shopping complex and a cinema.
The Federation Française de Rugby’s new stadium project reached another exciting milestone this week, with the signing of the contract between the FFR and the developer and main contractor, Ibelys. The contract was signed at a ceremony in Paris by the President of the FFR, Pierre Camou, and BESIX Europe General Manager, Jean Polet.
Designs for the world’s first fully air-conditioned and raised-off-the-ground stadium have been revealed. With 60,000 seats, Dubai’s groundbreaking Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid football stadium is set to become the benchmark.
The Melbourne Cricket Club (MCC) and the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG) Trust have presented a billion-dollar plan to the Victorian Government that proposes a link between the MCG and the Melbourne and Olympic Parks.
Liverpool Mayor Ned Mannoun has released a proposal for a new covered roof stadium/arena to be built in Western Sydney.
Sydney newspaper The Daily Telegraph reported that Mayor Mannoun’s plan is for a venue resembling the University of Phoenix Stadium, with a playing surface that can be wheeled out of the venue for maintenance purposes when not in use for sport, revealing a convention and event centre floor.
Artist’s impressions of the ambitious venue have been drawn up under the direction of Mayor Mannoun in a bid to win the backing of the NSW Government and gain inclusion in its recently announced AUD$1bn strategy to develop and refurbish sports stadia across metropolitan Sydney.
Stating that the venue would need to flexible to ensure the venue was not just used by sporting teams and had wider use as a convention and event centre, Mayor Mannoun told The Daily Telegraph:
We’re drawing on inspiration from the University of Phoenix stadium (with a) proposal (for) an entertainment centre that can turn into a sports venue.
No facility we presently have in Sydney would get usage like this: everything from local netball games, to professional sports to camper van expos, music concerts and high school graduations.
With the recently announced strategy initially backing the upgrading of Parramatta (PIrtek) Stadium, longer term plans for a new venue in Western Sydney have focused on Penrith and the Blacktown International Sportspark.
University of Phoenix Stadium.
Under Mayor Mannoun’s plan, the roofed stadium of about 30,000-seats would be part of an entertainment and cultural precinct at Woodward Park, 800 metres from Liverpool train station and a kilometre from the M5.
It is estimated the total precinct would cost about AUD$600m, of which AUD$400m could be raised through developer contributions. About AUD$200m would be needed from the NSW Government, including money raised through potential land sales.
Mayor Mannoun has reportedly secured an agreement with the Wests Tigers NRL team to create a new home in Liverpool if it can secure federal funding to help build a centre of excellence at Carnes Hill.
Images: An artist’s impression of the planned Liverpool precinct, with its roofed arena (top) and the University of Phoenix Stadium (below).
See more at: http://www.ausleisure.com.au/news/
The NFL’s St Louis Rams have reportely penned a stadium naming-rights deal worth USD$158m with National Car Rental for their proposed riverfront stadium that would be built in St. Louis.
The stadium, which would replace the team’s Edward Jones Dome, has been proposed to help keep the Rams in St. Louis, although owner, Stan Kroenke – who also holds a majority stake in English soccer team Arsenal FC – has expressed a desire to move the team to Los Angeles.
National Car Rental have reached a 20-year agreement with the St. Louis Regional Sports Authority (who would be the owner/operator) for the stadium, which would be known as ‘National Car Rental Field‘. Officials with the stadium task force and the Company told the Associated Press about the deal on Tuesday.
The St. Louis-based company will pay USD$6.5m in the first year, with a 2% annual inflation escalator every year after that. (The average annual payout would be approximately USD$7.9m.)
The deal includes signage on the interior and exterior of the stadium featuring the National Car Rental brand name.
The parent company of National Car Rental is Enterprise Holdings, who also owns Enterprise and Alamo car rental companies.
Govenor Jay Nixon released the following statement regarding the announcement on Wednesday:
Today’s announcement is another concrete step forward and a powerful affirmation of the St. Louis business community’s strong support for this project.
Private investment and taxpayer protection have been pillars of this effort from Day One, and I thank National Car Rental, the Taylor family, as well as Dave Peacock and Bob Blitz for their work to keep the NFL in St. Louis, redevelop the north riverfront and build a brighter future for the region as a whole.
The stadium project is certainly not a ‘done-deal’ and hinges on the League’s decision regarding which team (if any) will be granted permission to re-locate to Los Angeles.
However, this naming-rights agreement would be a significant step in demonstrating the feasibility of the stadium plans, just days ahead of a League meeting to discuss the potential move of the club. The Rams are competing with the San Diego Chargers and Oakland Raiders (whose proposed ‘shared’ MANICA-designed stadium features in the latest Q3 edition of PanStadia & Arena Management magazine), both of whom are mooting a move to LA.
Source: Associated Press
Image courtesy: St. Louis Regional Sports Authority
The development of a multi-purpose sports complex at Kai Tak, Hong Kong, on the site of the old international airport, is taking significant steps forward.
The development of the sports facility is in line with the government’s objectives for sport in Hong Kong, covering community sport, elite sport and top-class events.
Outline government decisions around a Design, Build and Operate contract have been taken, with the plan to achieve a contract award in 2017 showing clear intent of progress.
The current scheme includes a 50,000-seat, retractable roofed stadium, a public sports ground with seats for at least 5,000 and an indoor arena with 4,000 seats together with offices, hotel and retail.
Consultants have been appointed and plans for the tender process are being developed.
If you haven’t already registered to attend Stadia & Arena Asia Pacific 2015, then make sure to do so online today at: www.saevents.uk.com
The city of San Diego has unveiled Populous’ renderings of a conceptual NFL stadium design this week. The designs were part of a larger announcement outlining the city’s ability to quickly agree to terms to build a new San Diego stadium for the Chargers.
The multipurpose stadium would be an asset to the city, capable of hosting professional and amateur sports, entertainment, cultural and commercial events at a modern, vibrant sports and entertainment centre.
The new stadium, on the 166-acre Mission Valley site, would celebrate the city of San Diego, incorporating ocean and harbour influences with a forward-looking green design.
The proposed design includes plenty of public space, a fan park, corporate hospitality offerings, a VIP atrium, multiple sideline and field level clubs, suites and entertainment destinations, a hall of fame, landscape promenades, connectivity to the existing trolley station and the ability to easily adapt to host a Super Bowl.
Images courtesy: Populous
David Beckham’s investment group, Beckham Miami United, has reached an initial agreement over plans for a proposed privately-funded, 25,000-seat, soccer-specific stadium on a site next to the Miami Marlins baseball park (pictured above).
The agreement is for the new stadium, planned to accommodate Beckham’s proposed new and, as yet unnamed, Major League Soccer (MLS) franchise for the start of the 2018/19 season. The site was previously home to the Orange Bowl, where the Miami Dolphins National Football League (NFL) franchise played before it was demolished to make way for Marlins Park in 2008.
Image courtesy: Miami Herald
In a statement after a conference call with Miami Mayor, Tomas Regalado, a spokesperson for the Miami Beckham United group confirmed the new site, saying “we’re excited about sharing our plans with the city, county and community soon”.
Regalado told a press conference that he had spoken with one of Beckham’s partners, Sprint Corp Chief Executive, Marcelo Claure, who told him that the group had chosen the new site:
We’re still in the early planning stages and several viable options still exist, but our preferred stadium location is the former Orange Bowl site.
And a spokesperson for Beckham Miami United confirmed after Friday’s meeting:
Today’s meeting with Mayor Regalado was another positive step toward bringing a world-class soccer club to Miami. We’re still in the early planning stages and several viable options still exist, but our preferred stadium location is the former Orange Bowl site.
David, Marcelo and Simon [Fuller] are thrilled by the initial outpouring of support we’ve received from our fans and we’re excited about sharing our plans with the city, county and community soon.
Beckham has said he wants to build a 20,000-seat stadium with USD$250m in private financing and launch the team by 2018-19.
The news comes after more than 18 months of discussions with Miami’s lawmakers over a potential location for the stadium in the city.
Main image: Marlins Park. Courtesy: Populous/Nick Vedros.
The Los Angeles Football Club (LAFC) may not know exactly what the team will be called when they begin play in Major League Soccer (MLS) in 2018, but they know where they’ll be playing.
On Monday, LAFC’s ownership group announced its intent to build a new 22,000-seat stadium in South Los Angeles, at the site of the Los Angeles Sports Arena, located next to the LA Memorial Coliseum.
“We are committed to making our home in South Los Angeles and to be part of the phenomenal development happening along the Figueroa corridor that extends to downtown Los Angeles,” said Henry Nguyen, head of LAFC’s ownership group, in a club statement. The 24-member group also includes sports and entertainment mogul Peter Guber, businessmen Ruben Gnanalingam and Vincent Tan, Club President Tom Penn, U.S. soccer superstar Mia Hamm Garciaparra, NBA legend Earvin “Magic” Johnson, MLB All-Star Nomar Garciaparra, and best-selling author and entrepreneur Tony Robbins.
LAFC’s Executive Chairman, Peter Guber, said:
Los Angeles is a city famed for its creativity and innovation. In that tradition we look forward to building a premier club, in a state-of-the-art stadium delivering a state-of-the-heart experience, and bringing the world’s game to the City of Angels.
LAFC’s goal is to have the new stadium ready to go for their inaugural season in MLS in 2018. The club, which was announced as an MLS expansion franchise last summer, had originally planned to begin play in 2017.
The entire development, which the club says will bring USD$250m in private investments to South Los Angeles, has been designed by LA-based architectural firm Gensler and will also include restaurants, office space, a conference centre and a soccer museum.
Johnson said:
We are not only committed to creating a dynamic soccer experience for our fans, but are equally excited about the impact our stadium and facilities will have in reshaping and revitalizing South Los Angeles.
The construction of the new stadium in the underdeveloped South Los Angeles area is expected to produce a one-time economic activity of more than USD$275m and over 1,200 new union and non-union jobs. Additionally, once open, the new stadium is estimated to generate more than USD$129m in new economic activity, create more than 1,800 full-time jobs and produce USD$2.5m in annual tax revenue.
Los Angeles Mayor, Eric Garcetti, commented:
Los Angeles loves soccer and now the greatest sports town in America gets even better. I know this ownership group is committed to representing the best our city has to offer. And I’m especially pleased that this proposed state-of-the-art stadium will be located in South Los Angeles to help revive that neighborhood and bring more jobs and opportunity for our residents.
Councilman Curren Price, who represents the Sports Arena and surrounding South LA community, added:
This project is a tremendous gain for our community that will bring lasting benefits for our local economy including adding thousands of new local jobs and spurring new economic development opportunities for the district I represent – and all of Los Angeles.
The development still has a few deadlines and benchmarks to meet before the final deal is in place. Councilman Price is expected to bring the matter before the City Council in hopes of quick action on completing the necessary environmental reviews, entitlements and infrastructure investment. The club also expressed its intent to meet with city and state officials to identify funding opportunities that the project will be qualified for under their guidelines, while affirming that “no money from the city’s general fund will be used for this project.”
LAFC also announced that they have secured a preliminary agreement with the University of of Southern California, which is responsible for managing the Sports Arena site.
The renderings of the stadium show a sleek, modern building not far from downtown LA and close to both the highway and public transit options. They indicate that the new stadium will be intimate and boast overhanging roofs that will help contain and amplify the crowd noise and atmosphere.
MLS Commissioner, Don Garber, said:
The new stadium will be absolutely spectacular. Los Angeles Football Club fans deserve a world-class stadium, and this facility will provide the appropriate environment for them to celebrate their club.
Source: http://www.mlssoccer.com/news/article/2015/05/18/lafc-announce-plan-new-soccer-specific-stadium-south-los-angeles
