‘Great opportunity’: Lions boss backs bold Victoria Park vision for Brisbane Olympic and Paralympic Games

The boss of the Brisbane Lions has backed a “Brisbane Bold” plan to build a massive 90ha sporting and events precinct complete with 70,000-seat stadium at Victoria Park, saying the club thinks it’s a “great opportunity”.

• Incredible pictures: Bold Victoria Park plan

The boss of the Brisbane Lions has backed a “Brisbane Bold” plan to build a massive 90ha sporting and events precinct complete with 70,000-seat stadium at Victoria Park, saying the club thought it was a “fantastic” idea.

Chief executive Greg Swann said the club had been briefed on the proposal created by Archipelago architecture firm founder Peter Edwards last Friday, and said it should be taken seriously.

IN PICTURES: 70K-SEAT STADIUM, 90HA SITE IN VICTORIA PARK VISION

“Obviously the focus (of the plan) is the stadium for us, but the way the proposal flows there’s education facilities, there’s hospitals, there’s green space, it just looks like something you’d like to think governments of all persuasions would chase it to ground,” he said.

“From our point of view, that looked like a great opportunity and hopefully people give it the due consideration I think it deserves.”

Lions CEO Greg Swann says the proposal should be taken seriously. Pictured Supplied by ARCHIPELAGO

The Lions will play the first game of the season on Friday night with a sellout game at the Gabba as membership booms – with the club boasting about 8000 additional members than the same time last year.

“We want to get 60,000-plus (members) – we’ll get there we think,” he said.

“I know it’s easy to say ‘why are you spending money on a stadium’, but every big city has stadiums, hospitals, schools – there’s a place for everything.

Brisbane Lions CEO Greg Swann. (Photo by Albert Perez/Getty Images)

“And we think that proposal really suits us and cricket, and the Olympics.

“But I think from a legacy point of view that whole development, that whole proposal certainly looks like it should be considered by those in authority.”

Mr Swann said the club had briefed the panel led by former Lord Mayor Graham Quirk on the Brisbane 2032 Games’ infrastructure plans, with Mr Quirk’s findings due later this month.

“Everybody’s sort of waiting for that to be honest, I do know the Vic Park proposal has been put to that committee as well, and we’ve spoken about what we think needs to happen here (the Gabba),” he said.

“If there’s not a knockdown – which there won’t be – this needs to be upgraded in certain areas and hopefully regardless of what happens, that’s a minimum that happens for us.”

But Mr Swann also said should a new stadium be built at Victoria Park, he would support the Gabba being transformed into community green space, as has been done at Perth’s Subiaco Stadium.