Ringwood RSL sub-branch plans 230 apartments, offices, e-gaming in $120m redevelopment

Forget about the pokies and Bingo, a RSL sub-branch in Melbourne's’s east is going high-tech — with a focus on eSports — to secure its future.

Ringwood RSL has taken a step forward in its planned multistorey redevelopment. Picture: Andy Brownbill

A RSL sub-branch in Melbourne’s east is set to super-size its offerings as plans progress for a $120 million transformation.

And the Ringwood RSL sub-branch’s president says it is starting to attract teenagers and visitors in their 30s as it looks to potentially ditch pokies for eSports.

The sub-branch has signed up developers RedC and Costa Asset Management for a six-to-eight storey expansion of its ageing Station St headquarters.

The project is aimed at securing the sub-branch’s future through new revenue streams, and to compliment Maroondah Council’s push for more multi-level buildings as part of its Ringwood Activity Centre masterplan.

It is set to boast 230 apartments, offices and commercial space, a function and events centre and a gym and pool, along with revamped club facilities.

President David Jamison said the sub-branch would receive income from all the new facilities except for the apartments.

He said the development was supported by its 4500 members and the plans would be submitted to the council within 18 months.

“It will be exciting for Ringwood because its in keeping with other major developments that are finished or planned,” he said.

“We’ll be pretty careful of keeping the threaded history of the place and continuing to display memorabilia that represent the conflicts Australia has been through.”

Leader first revealed the sub-branch’s $120 million expansion plans and its interest in introducing e-gaming in May 2019.

Mr Jamison said the club begun hosting table top and board games nights in April, which he expected would evolve and eventually “lead into regular ESports events as well in the future”.

He said one of the club’s commercial spaces could become an eSports hub.

“We’re getting about 30 people a night (to the games), and we’re already finding the guys who are coming in are in their teens through to their middle 30s,” he said.

“The issue is being able to generate replacement revenue and that’s where e-gaming comes in.”

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