Gold Coast could have a 5000-seat boutique sports stadium within 18 months

THE Gold Coast could have a multi-sport boutique stadium within 18 months under a Sports Gold Coast plan to breathe life into the city’s arenas.

THE Gold Coast could have a multi-sport boutique stadium within 18 months under a Sports Gold Coast plan to breathe life into the city’s arenas.

SGC chairman Geoff Smith believes the concept is a must for the Coast’s sports scene, with talks well underway to get the wheels in motion.

The venue could house various teams such as NPL Queensland club Gold Coast United, who are looking for advanced facilities as they push for an A-League return. United are currently sharing a Robina field with league side the Raptors.

L-R Sports Gold Coast chairman Geoff Smith and Gold Coast United chairman Danny pictured in Southport. The pair are behind a push for a 5000-seat stadium on the GC. Maher Picture Mike Batterham

A 5000-seat facility, Smith said, would offer grassroots sports a quality venue option without the breakeven costs associated with an elite stadium.

FLOW-ON EFFECT

Smith believes the model could help fill Cbus Super Stadium and Metricon Stadium.

“The argument at the moment, is council and state government saying we have built all this infrastructure for the Commonwealth Games; our answer to that is that’s great but that’s all high end,” he said.

“You have got to build it from the ground upwards.

“They have got to build it slowly. The only way to do that is you have got to really support the grassroots clubs by providing the facilities which encourages families and players to come together and build up that tribal thing and then you move up to the next level.

“In many ways, this is the answer to filling Cbus Super Stadium and making it work.

“You have got to make it affordable for families to go to see games and get into the habit of doing it.”

THE COST

Smith assured the project could be done within a reasonable budget.

“We’re not talking hundreds of millions. We’re probably talking less than 10 million, probably around five or six to start it off,” he said.

What’s more is he and SGC are not counting on government funding to get the stadium off the ground.

“Our position is that we’re not asking council to build a stadium, we’re not asking state government to build a stadium, we just want land allocated so we can have a private enterprise, along with potential members and sponsors, build something and stage it up,” he said.

L-R Sports Gold Coast chairman Geoff Smith and Gold Coast United chairman Danny pictured in Southport. The pair are behind a push for a 5000-seat stadium on the GC. Maher Picture Mike Batterham

WHAT’S NEXT

“We have just got to get everyone in a room and crystallise where we’re going,” Smith said.

“We don’t have to spend $200,000 or whatever it costs to get an independent feasibility study. You get people on the Gold Coast who have actually lived and breathed and put up with this problem.

“We’re talking about making a decision on this within six months. Like Sports Gold Coast will be able to say this is where we think you should build it, this is the cost, this is the model.

“Conceivably we could have a 5000-seat stadium here within 18 months to two years.”

POSSIBLE SITES

Various figureheads have proposed a range of possible locations, with training fields nearby Cbus and Metricon among them.

Other sites floated include Emerald Lakes, Goodwin Park in Coolangatta and Coplick Family Sports Park in Tallebudgera.

Smith said the early general consensus was for a central site with an eventual plan of having a boutique stadium at each of northern, central and southern Gold Coast.

“The vision is to get one stadium up and prove the model,” he said.

WHAT IT’S ABOUT

Purpose: To provide an affordable, mid-level capacity option for multiple sporting codes

Cost: Less than $10 million

Timeframe: Decision could be made within 3-6 months, stadium could be erected within 18-24 months

Possible sites: Robina, Carrara, Emerald Lakes, Coolangatta, Tallebudgera

Possible users: NPL Queensland, NRL trials, Intrust Super Cup, National Rugby Championship, local finals