Kick off: Work starts on controversial Ballymore upgrade

The grandstands at Ballymore are coming down to make way for a new rugby headquarters but nearby residents are furious.

Work has started on a controversial upgrade of Ballymore, the “home of rugby’’. Picture: Richard Gosling

The historic McLean Stand at Ballymore, the “home of rugby’’, will be demolished this week as the QRU prepares to build a new stand and national training centre.

Queensland Rugby Union plans a “slow deconstruction’’ over several months, rather than a spectacular demolition at the Herston site in Brisbane’s inner west.

A proposal to build three new office blocks and repurpose an existing building as offices were revealed late last year.

The offices, fronting busy Butterfield St, would be four storeys high and have a total of 428 car parks.

It is understood the offices would generate income to help offset the cost of maintaining the proposed $30 million National Rugby Training Centre and 10,000 to 12,000 seat stadium.

QRU has approval for a 24,000 seat stadium but decided to build a smaller venue for training and smaller games instead.

Artist's impression of the Ballymore redevelopment.

The state and federal governments each pledged $15 million for the upgrade.

“This week we begin work on the Ballymore National Rugby Training Centre and New McLean Stand,’’ spokesman Matthew Horan said in a letter to residents.

“During the next 18 months you will see increased construction activity on the precinct as we begin an exciting new chapter for Ballymore.

“There will be some disruptions to the neighbourhood and we ask for your patience – hopefully the end result will be a rejuvenated precinct that adds increased amenity to the community.

“We have already begun preparing the old McLean Stand for demolition, with the setup of temporary storage and the strip out of equipment.

“Later this week we will begin the major demolition, which we anticipate taking 10 to 12 weeks.’’

Neighbours took to a local Facebook community page to complain that they knew nothing about the start of works this week, but Mr Horan said they had kept residents up to date throughout the process including emailing them on Monday night to inform them of the start of demolition works.

“I went out and letterboxed as well this morning,’’ Mr Horan said.

Resident Sharon Douglas said she was deeply concerned about on-street parking, already a huge issue due to commuters and relatives of patients at nearby Royal Brisbane Hospital.

She said neighbours were also worried about worsening peak-hour traffic, loss of significant trees and green space and commercialisation of what was a residential area.

Mr Horan said trucks would have to use Butterfield St over the coming months, but construction noise should not be “significant’’ as the site was set back from the street.

Demolition work on the stand would be limited to 6.30am to 6.30pm but would be finished by 4.30pm most days.

“The plan is for a slow deconstruction of the stand, not a sudden demolition,’’ he said.

“Sections of the stand will be removed via the rear of the building during the next month, leaving a skeleton and the roof, which will be collapsed last.

“About 95 per cent of the materials from the stand will be recycled or reused.’’

Contractors Delta had noise and dust monitoring equipment on site.

Originally published as Kick off: Work starts on controversial Ballymore upgrade