Brookvale Oval: New grandstand for Manly Sea Eagles approved
A $33m upgrade for Manly Sea Eagles’ Brookvale home could start within weeks, with a new 3000 seat covered grandstand and a Centre of Excellence planned.
Manly
Don't miss out on the headlines from Manly. Followed categories will be added to My News.
- Fallout from COVID-19 forcing Sydneysiders to live in tents
- Drop Festival anger: ‘Give me my money back’
Manly Sea Eagles could start building their Centre of Excellence and a new 3000-seat grandstand at Brookvale within weeks after a planning panel approved the $33m development.
Chris Dare, speaking at the panel last week on behalf of Manly Sea Eagles, said construction could start “almost immediately”, within “four to six weeks”.
“Construction can commence almost immediately and we are going to be able to create jobs that are so needed in the construction area at the moment due to the COVID-19 pandemic,” he said.
Mr Dare said the project would be the “catalyst for the redevlopment of Brookvale Oval in the longer term”.
He said they had carefully planned where the new facilities would be located to allow the potential possibility of future development.
He said the development would also ensure the Sea Eagles’ “historical home was protected for future generations”.
“Brookvale Oval has been the home of the Sea Eagles since 1947, 73 years of representing He also reiterated the community,” he said.
“It’s been part of our DNA.
“Over the past 15 years conditions of the facilities at the Brookvale Oval have steadily fallen and the venue is now one of the worst in the NRL.”
He said the club had been discussing upgrades with Northern Beaches Council for 20 years.
“None of those projects to date that have been contemplated have ever come to fruition because they have been not viable due to lack of funding,” Mr Dare said.
“The club has worked for 10 years now to try and bring a viable development proposal to the table.
“And we’ve invested a lot of time and money in that period and the result of that is that we have been able to attract $32.5m in funding from federal and state government.
“That money does not rely on any money from the ratepayers or Northern Beaches Council.”
Mr Dare said the development is of “significant community interest”.
“Our vision is to locate the club in the heartland of the support base, it’s critical to us now and into the future and to represent the community at the highest level,” he said.
He said the new facilities would enable the club to grow its our base and enter a team in the NRL female competition moving forward and “expand our community outreach programs”.
It is believed the club could begin works within weeks.
Northern Beaches Council had opposed the Lottloand development because it did not sit within the management plan for Brookvale Park and because it would result in the removal of 11 brush box trees, which are listed as a local heritage item.
During public consultation there were some concerns from local residents about traffic and parking.
The new stand would be located at the northern end of Brookvale Oval. The upgrade would also include disability access and seating, new toilets, female changing rooms and a community space, as well as a state-of-the art gym, that would alss be made available to athetes competing at international level.