What new $18m sports stadium, home to North Adelaide Rockets, on Hampstead Rd, Lightsview, will look like

THE first artist’s impressions showing what a planned new $18-million sports stadium in Adelaide’s inner north will look like have been released.

Designs for an $18m stadium proposed for Lightsview have been released.

DESIGNS for a long-awaited multi-sports stadium at Lightsview – featuring up to five basketball courts, a cafe, spectator area and community event spaces – have been revealed.

The $18 million stadium will be built on Hampstead Rd to provide a new home for North Adelaide Rockets Basketball Club and offer space for other sports and community groups.

Port Adelaide Enfield Mayor Gary Johanson said the design, released last week, was based on feedback from sporting and community groups as well as the general public during a recent consultation period.

“The response has been amazing and I’ve had wonderful chats to those who live close to the centre who agree it is just such a wonderful thing for the children of the area,” Mr Johansson said.

“I was surprised when I saw the plan at how well thought out it was.

The million stadium will provide a new home for North Adelaide Rockets Basketball Club and offer space for other sports and community groups.

“You could’ve put a shed there with the basketball courts inside but instead it’s a very good, open and adaptable space area where the sky is your limit.”

The council is still deciding on whether to incorporate four or five courts into the final design pending further consultation with sporting clubs.

While the courts will be predominantly used for basketball, the council will seek expressions of interest from other clubs which wish to use the stadium for sports such as futsal, netball and wheelchair sports.

Port Adelaide Enfield Mayor Gary Johanson says the design is based on feedback from sporting and community groups.

While there had been some community requests for an indoor pool, Mr Johanson said that would be financially unviable.

“Pools are a great luxury but they’re very expensive to maintain,” he said.

“We need to stick to original vision or else the costs will blow out.”

The State Government has committed $3.5 million to the project and the council will foot the remainder of the bill.

Work on the stadium has been scheduled to begin in December.