Aquatic Centre falling out of reach for Crows, but could still offer answer for new Adelaide Football Club base in the city
Money for a new Crows facility that will take the Adelaide Football Club from West Lakes into the city confines will not be an issue. But finding the location for a new headquarters is still a challenge.
Michelangelo Rucci
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IT is always good to be on a winner. And no matter which of the major political parties seeks to take command of the federal Treasury after Saturday’s general election, the Adelaide Football Club’s plan to move away from West Lakes is guaranteed a big financial boost from Canberra.
If the Liberals stay in power, the $15 million promised to the $60 million budget for a new Crows training and administrative base will be a lock.
If Labor brings a change in the federal government, the $15 million will still appear ... as will senior Labor politician Anthony Albanese with a cheque for major transport infrastructure for Adelaide. This will include extending the tram line that stops between the Festival Centre and Adelaide Oval through to O’Connell Street at North Adelaide with a terminal outside the Piccadilly cinema.
That tram could be a very convenient link between the Crows new headquarters at North Adelaide and Adelaide Oval.
Adelaide Football Club chief executive Andrew Fagan on Friday delivered this note to the Crows members: “Plenty of people are asking about our proposal to develop a new home for the club in the city.
“As I have mentioned previously, our master planning process is focused on the current site of the Adelaide Aquatic Centre in North Adelaide. Planning is aimed at delivering a vibrant sports and community precinct, including new facilities for the club.
“We recognise that the project needs to meet the needs of a range of important stakeholders, including the City of Adelaide, local residents and business community. We will be in a better position to provide more detailed insights as to how each can benefit when we are further through the planning process. Stay tuned!”
It seems the grand plan for the Adelaide Football Club to take over from the Adelaide City Council the financially draining Adelaide Aquatic Centre is not so clear cut anymore.
Certainly former Lord Mayor Martin Haese’s declaration on social media to take up the fight to protect the parklands from further development tells of the sensitivities the Crows - and their political mates in Canberra - are up against.
Prepare for Plan B. The prospects of the Crows being based on the northern edge of the parklands is not totally gone, however.
The latest concept being thrown about by “those in the know” has -
Aquatic centre, that costs the ACC as much as $700,000 a year and has loaded the city council’s books with much debt, being closed.
Car parks around the aquatic centre being cleared and restored to parklands.
Crows being invited to put their training ovals and training facility on the corner of Barton Terrace West and Prospect Road. The space re-created by the clearing of the car parks around the aquatic centre would then be wiped out by the new Crows infrastructure - but with no “net loss” in parklands space.
Crows looking at the Caledonian Hotel to redevelop as the club’s administrative centre.
It is one to watch ... regardless of who takes charge in Canberra next week.
The $60 million budget for a new centre is not beyond the Adelaide Football Club. But there is still a great challenge to finding a location near the city - and within quick reach of Adelaide Oval - for the Crows.
They have tried a partnership with Adelaide University to be directly across the road from the Oval. They certainly were close to a deal at West Terrace-Port Road where the SA Cricket Association has established a superb ground, Karen Rolton Oval.
The Crows fans who have lamented the loss of “The Shed” in the move from Football Park to Adelaide Oval at the end of 2013 will take delight in the Caledonian being an easy fit for a social base. And with Albanese offering a tram ride to and from the city, the concept appears more appealing.
One to watch .... As Fagan says, stay tuned.
michelangelo.rucci@news.com.au
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