Prince Alfred College’s reveals $2.3m design for parklands clubrooms at Park 9
For more than five years, Prince Alfred Old Collegians has been desperate to replace its “embarrassing” clubrooms and toilets in the parklands. Now, the club and school have finally released their vision. SEE THE DESIGN AND TAKE OUR POLL.
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New plans for Prince Alfred College’s long-awaited $2.3 million clubrooms in the parklands have been revealed, at least five years after they were initially proposed.
However the school has already hit a hurdle, with the state peak parkland’s body asking for more information, particularly about the building’s location on the oval, before giving its support.
Plans for the clubrooms at Park 9 – the home ground of Adelaide Footy League club Prince Alfred Old Collegians – include new change rooms, toilets and community spaces to replace ageing, outdated facilities.
The new North Adelaide complex would create a “contemporary” sporting venue that can cater for male, female and junior participants, with and without disabilities.
Prince Alfred Old Collegians Association vice chairman Tim Hall said the current facilities were “embarrassing for the parklands” and had to be replaced.
“The location of the facility will make no difference to the nature and use of the facility … moving it is irrelevant,” Mr Hall said.
“Why would you build a facility which is designed to view a sporting event on an oval, away from the oval?
“What they are asking us, the proponents, is to create a facility that is not fit for purpose and doesn’t achieve the design outcome of providing shelter to people watching games.”
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Prince Alfred Old Collegians Association is the main user of the park, at the corner of Bundeys Rd and Park Tce, and uses the area for its cricket and football training and matches. The school, Walkerville Football Club’s junior sides and Wilderness College also have access.
Adelaide City Council Lord Mayor and Adelaide Park Lands Authority chairwoman Sandy Verschoor said the development itself was consistent with design guidelines.
“Everyone supported the building design as such … but we have deferred the matter until we can actually understand the impacts of the site of the building,” Ms Verschoor said.
Prince Alfred head master Bradley Fenner hoped to work with the authority and council to achieve the best outcome.
The school announced redevelopment plans in 2015, angering North Adelaide residents who believed it would be a “pub in the parklands”.
In 2017, the council, school and residents came to an agreement that clubroom would be no larger than 375sq m.
Mr Hall said the new venue would not be a “pub in the parklands” and not used after 6.30pm.
The proposal is expected to go before the authority again next month.