Adelaide Crows turn to builders and financial backers with Thebarton redevelopment

Hours after the Crows were given the tick to go ahead with their Thebarton dream, the club has taken the first steps towards the creation of their new home base.

Adelaide Crows artist impressions of their new base at Thebarton Oval – Typical Day CREDIT: City Collective

Adelaide has turned its attention to talks with builders and financial backers now it has the green light to redevelop Thebarton Oval.

Hours after the State Commission Assessment Panel granted the Crows planning consent for their proposed new $100m training and administration base, the club revealed detailed designs of its vision as part of a capital fundraising campaign at Adelaide Town Hall on Tuesday night.

The next steps include the SANFL vacating Thebarton in what it hopes is a home swap with the Crows by returning to Football Park to run junior programs.

Charles Sturt Council was expected to decide this coming Tuesday night whether to grant the state league a non-exclusive licence at West Lakes, but Crows chairman John Olsen did not think any delay would impede the club’s long-term process.

Adelaide had an agreement with the SANFL harking back to 2022, when this masthead revealed it included $8.5m in compensation for the state league to move.

Adelaide Football Club’s proposed new training, administration and community precinct at Thebarton Oval. Picture: City Collective

“The arrangements that we have got in place gives us a pathway forward,” Olsen said.

“We have an arrangement to compensate SANFL and that compensation is available until the 30th of June.

“We’re having discussions with builders, which will take place over the next two months or so, lock that down, then I hope that we will be turning soil at Thebarton Oval in September.

“After three years of constant negotiations and three rounds of public consultation, (the state assessment panel’s decision) was just relief that the process had come to a conclusion.”

Charles Sturt’s second round of community consultation over the SANFL’s proposed return to Football Park ended on Sunday.

Premier Peter Malinauskas weighed into the issue, saying the Crows should be allowed to get on with the job “and the council shouldn’t be standing in the way of it”.

The SANFL was hopeful of getting the outcome it wanted by the end of June.

The Crows recently got the green light for the development. Picture: City Collective

“As we have maintained right from the very beginning, we will not surrender our lease at Thebarton Oval until we have secured a location where we can develop a new home for our male and female football pathway programs,” league chief executive Darren Chandler said.

Adelaide provided stakeholders a glimpse into what its new home would look like at Tuesday night’s function.

LED screens surrounding the room gave guests the impression they were seated in the middle of a redeveloped Thebarton Oval.

The state and federal governments are contributing $15m each to the project, while West Torrens Council has added $11.26m to improve the precinct.

Adelaide identified Thebarton to be its preferred base in August 2022 after plans for sites in North Adelaide and Brompton were rejected.

West Torrens Council granted the club a 42-year lease in December, but not before significant community backlash over a perceived loss of open green space, reduced public access, increased traffic and lack of transparency.

Adelaide’s AFLW side will play homes games at Thebarton and the club will train there, as well as have a portion of Kings Reserve as a secondary oval.

Originally published as Adelaide Crows turn to builders and financial backers with Thebarton redevelopment