Adelaide Football Club proposal for new headquarters in North Adelaide has ‘long way to go’, says Lord Mayor Sandy Verschoor

The Adelaide Crows have secretly briefed the Adelaide City Council on their vision for a new base in the north parklands — and the chief executive expects plans to be lodged in the near future.

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Adelaide Football Club’s plan to build a new $65 million headquarters in North Adelaide has a “long way to go”, according to Adelaide City Lord Mayor Sandy Verschoor.

However, Adelaide City Council chief executive Mark Goldstone tonight told a committee he expected plans to “be formally lodged in the very near future”.

The Crows unveiled their vision for a training and administration complex at the Adelaide Aquatic Centre to the council at a confidential meeting last night.

Ms Verschoor said the concept plans responded to the council’s “guiding principles and community needs”.

Those principles look at areas including value for money and community benefit.

“I am pleased to see it progressing, but it has a long way to go,” Ms Verschoor said.

“As soon as we have a detailed proposal, we will go out for community consultation.”

The council discussed the proposal tonight, but most of the debate was again held in secret.

Deputy Lord Mayor Houssam Abiad said the club was yet to provide “detailed plans” to the council.

Adelaide City Council in June gave the Crows permission to start designing concept plans for a training and administration complex at the council-owned aquatic centre.

Mr Goldstone told the committee there had been a “degree of impatience” for plans not being presented to the community.

“We now at a point where the Adelaide Football Club can advance their concept mapping, or planning, and I anticipate they will formally lodge their concept plans in the very near future,” Mr Goldstone said.

The council has also commissioned a study to look into the current and future demands for aquatic and recreational services over the next 20 years.

Cr Phil Martin told The Advertiser the vision presented was “fluffy nonsense”.

“It was a full on sales pitch without detail that did not enable a full assessment of the proposal,” Cr Martin said.

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An Adelaide Crows spokesman refused to comment on the presentation.

“Last night’s meeting was a confidential discussion and we would prefer to respect that situation,” the spokesman said.

Blackfriars Priory School, which uses the Aquatic Centre site, has been contacted for comment.