Sturt Football Club readies to lodge plans for $4.6m revamp to transform two grandstands

STURT Football Club is readying to lodge plans for Unley Oval’s $4.6 million redevelopment — stepping up efforts to deliver the long-awaited revamp to include two impressive grandstands.

An artist’s impression of a revamped Unley Oval grandstand.

STURT Football Club will lodge plans for Unley Oval’s $4.6 million redevelopment as soon as next month — stepping up efforts to deliver the long-awaited revamp.

But Unley Council, which owns the oval, says that might be “premature” because it has not seen detailed designs or decided when — and how much — it will contribute to the project.

Double Blues general manager Sue Dewing last week said a development application to transform the oval’s two grandstands would be submitted to the council in early April.

Mrs Dewing hoped the project would be approved by August, putting the club in a “strong position” as it lobbied the state and federal government, as well as the SANFL and AFL, for funding.

“We are still seeking funding and we want to show them that we have skin in the game,” Mrs Dewing said.

“Those discussions are ongoing, and they have been for the best part of a year.”

Mrs Dewing last month wrote to Unley Mayor Lachlan Clyne saying Sturt’s board had recently approved the club’s $500,000 contribution to the upgrade.

She also requested Unley Council include “any allocated funding” to the project in its 2017-18 budget.

The Eastern Courier Messenger last year reported the council was prepared to contribute $1.5 million to the revamp as it lobbied both major parties for a $2.3 million funding commitment before last year’s federal election.

But in response to questions about the upgrade at a council meeting last week, Unley chief executive Peter Tsokas said staff had held “only a preliminary discussion” with the club and was yet to see detailed designs.

“(The application) might be a little bit premature,” Mr Tsokas told the meeting.

“This council still needs to make some decisions about where it wants to go with Unley Oval.

“We do not have a position in terms of funding, time frame and priority.”

Mr Tsokas indicated council staff would meet with Sturt in the coming weeks to discuss its development application.

Sturt’s vision for the upgrade includes a boardroom and offices below the Jack Oatey Stand, as well as new women’s and juniors’ changerooms below the Harry J McKay Stand.

The proposal had included a VIP bar above the Jack Oatey Stand and was costed at $8.25 million when it was first announced in 2014, before those plans were scrapped last year in favour of a cheaper option.