Whatever the Olympic review finds, an inner-city arena is a must

The first thing newly minted Queensland Premier Steven Miles did when he ascended to the state’s top job was to announce a 60-day review of planned Olympic venues for the 2032 Games.

While most thoughts immediately went to the controversial $2.7 billion Gabba redevelopment, the Brisbane Arena – just a shade cheaper at a budgeted $2.5 billion – will also face scrutiny.

The current concept for the Brisbane Arena may be prohibitively expensive.

And if recent reports are to be believed, that $2.5 billion could well be a conservative estimate for the arena, planned to be built over the rail lines at Roma Street.

The engineering challenges reportedly have the government assessing its options, including whether there might be a less challenging location for the new arena, which would host swimming events in 2032.

Other options have been considered, including demolishing the Queensland Police Service’s headquarters across the road, all of which will form part of the review, which is due to be completed next month.

So, what other options should be considered?

The government could solve two problems in one, by building the arena on the site of the existing Gabba. The smaller footprint required could even save the heritage-listed East Brisbane State School from oblivion.

Then, the Exhibition Ground at Bowen Hills could be developed into Brisbane’s Olympic stadium and future home of cricket and AFL. It would be sacrilegious for many cricket tragics to abandon the Gabba, but the RNA has some cricket heritage of its own.

Don Bradman made his Test debut there, after all.

With heritage grandstands, the RNA could rival the Sydney Cricket Ground in its mix of modern and classic aesthetics.

Failing that, the original plan for a new stadium at Albion Park could be revived, giving both sports a home next to the existing Queensland Cricket headquarters at Allan Border Field.

Or, for some out-of-the-box thinking, perhaps the answer to the arena problem lies about 700 metres away in the heart of the CBD.

Uptown, the old Myer Centre, could be a perfect alternative for the Brisbane Arena.Credit: Cameron Atfield

Uptown, still popularly referred to as the Myer Centre, has yet to recover from the loss of its anchor tenant last year. Let’s face it, the place hasn’t been the same since the dragon rollercoaster ran out of puff.

It’s no secret that retail is struggling in Brisbane. Vacant shopfronts are more common than any economist would like and Uptown is not immune – especially in the Myer-shaped void at the George Street end of the centre.

Perhaps its future lies as the inner-city arena Brisbane so desperately needs.

To see how it could reinvigorate the CBD, you need look no further than that other inner-city mall – Brunswick Street Mall in Fortitude Valley.

There, the Fortitude Music Hall, an attempt to fill the void left by the disgraceful demolition of Festival Hall in the city, has brought new life to the Valley.

Queen Street Mall could similarly benefit from having such a drawcard.

To be clear, this is nothing more than a thought bubble. The footprint may be too narrow for an arena of the size required. That could only be properly assessed by people much more qualified, as my research has consisted of doing a few measurements on Google Maps.

But it’s certainly worth a look.

Owner Vicinity Centres lists its valuation at $320 million. With a $2.5 billion budget, that leaves plenty of money for capital works at the site, should they agree to a sale.

Designed right, there could be enough space in an arena complex for Vicinity to keep a retail presence at the site.

There would be obvious challenges and restraints – Elizabeth Street and the heritage facades on Queen Street, for starters – but nothing’s insurmountable.

The one certainty is that an inner-city arena is desperately needed in Brisbane.

If punters are still forced to contend with the Brisbane Entertainment Centre at Boondall post-2032, then the Olympic Games would have failed one of its biggest legacy tests.

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