Memorial Drive northern grandstand could be rebuilt to incorporate solar panels and storage

Memorial Drive’s 80-year-old northern grandstand could be demolished and rebuilt to incorporate solar panels and battery storage, a parliamentary report reveals.

Memorial Drive’s 80-year-old northern grandstand could be demolished and rebuilt to incorporate solar panels and battery storage, a parliamentary report reveals.

It would come after the current $11 million upgrade to put a freestanding roof structure over the whole stadium, along with other improvements.

The report also says the combined Women’s Tennis Association and International Tennis Federation event, to be staged for the first time next January, will generate $8.5 million in annual visitor spending.

It says Tennis Australia is set to invest $20 million over five years in the tournament.

Work has begun on the freestanding roof project, which involves removing the old roofs of both stands, neither of which are heritage listed, and putting in new seats.

Other upgrades to the northern stand under the current project are refurbishments of a function area and toilets, and some internal reconfiguration to create covered outdoor spaces.

“The new translucent roof does not lend itself structurally, architecturally or aesthetically to the installation of PV solar panels. The project budget also does not accommodate (it),” the report says.

“A feasibility study for the demolition and replacement of the existing north stand is being commissioned which will consider PV solar panels with battery storage to offset the anticipated power requirement for the Tennis SA site.”

The main court at Memorial Drive, showing the northern grandstand.

Tennis SA chief executive Steve Baldas said his focus was on the roof project and ensuring the Drive was ready for the new tournament. “A feasibility study in the future will investigate further opportunities and ways to redevelop the site, including the northern stand built in 1938,” he said.

Mr Baldas said the Tennis Australia investment in the tournament included a minimum of $2 million prizemoney each year across the women’s and men’s draws. The women’s field is expected to include the world’s best players. The rest of the money, for setting up and running the event, would create jobs, he said.

“We expect a significant increase in visitation and spending as a result of staging a tournament of this level (compared to the former World Tennis Challenge).”

The report says “100-plus days of activity have been identified” for the revamped Drive, which will be used for concerts and other events. By 2022-23, Tennis SA expects the current, mostly State Government-funded revamp to boost annual income by $115,000, the report says.