Exclusive: State Government will hand over prime Southport CBD site for council stadium to go ahead
In an exclusive interview Mayor Tom Tate has revealed fresh details about the new Gold Coast Arena, including how it will be paid for and likely tenants, saying it will provide the city its “biggest legacy” since canal housing.
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The City, in a deal with the Crisafulli Government, will get its prime Southport CBD land at no cost to build the Gold Coast Arena for the 2032 Olympics.
Mayor Tom Tate says the indoor stadium will be the city’s biggest legacy “since canal estates” and future home not just for a national basketball team but possibly the Gold Coast Titans.
In an exclusive interview, the Mayor revealed the secret talks on the Carey Park site prior to Tuesday’s announcement that it would be a “necessity” for the 2032 Olympic Games.
“For me, it will be the biggest legacy for the city since canal housing. We will put the Olympic ring at the entry to our city,” Mr Tate told The Bulletin.
“I’d love the Titans got a second field, as well. I looked at it, it’s elongated, it’s long enough, it depends on how much it will be to have an operating roof that opens.
“That’s a long shot. But for sure I can see a national basketball team being born on the Gold Coast, sooner than anticipated.
“Once we have this deal, set ready to go, sod turned, the basketball team can start, they can use Carrara and the Convention Centre while they wait for the arena.”
The Government 100-day review, released on Tuesday, says the 12,000 to 15,000 seat stadium, which could cost $350 million, would be “fully funded by the City of Gold Coast”.
Some community advocates are questioning how the Arena is in play as a City-funded Olympic venue when the plan was for a cost-neutral Coast Games.
Samantha Delmege, who ran for the Southport division in the last council election, on Facebook wrote: “I’m speechless. Considering last month it was said that the State Government had no plans to build a stadium, its focus was cost of living and the housing crisis we are living in.”
A council source added: “The councillors signed off on an MOU (memorandum of understanding) that it (the Olympics) would be at no cost to the ratepayers.”
Council is finalising community consultation, saying the majority are positive, but residents living near Carey Park are strongly opposed amid concerns about traffic.
Mr Tate, who acknowledges he began the Olympics journey by not wanting to provide funding or new facilities, explained how the finances would play out for ratepayers.
“On securing on the land, that’s in principle, I’ve had agreement with both the Premer and Deputy Premier. Now the bureaucrats from both sides, I want that fast tracked,” he said.
“Once that’s in our hands, I would want to get the best designer of an arena to give us a conceptual, some concepts.
“Transfer of ownership to the city, that gives us the opportunity to actually formulate the project, get it shovel ready to design and construct – we will do that, it will value uplift the land.
“Once we value uplift the land, we will go to a private public partnership – we are putting this much in, the land will be worth say $80 million, that’s the initial contribution.”
The second stage of the deal would be the City requiring at least 12 weeks of the year for the arena and to work out other potential tenants, including a national basketball team.
The contribution to building the arena from private enterprise would dictate a 20-year or longer lease before returning total ownership to council. City sources say major entertainment industry players want to build on the site.
“We might even talk to the Titans, they might want some games there,” Mr Tate said.
“That’s the journey. But the end goal for the city, we have the arena, we own the land, and we end up owning the freehold for the arena itself in years to come.
“It will ignite the CBD of Southport. You will see properties growing in Southport. We are a major land owner – the value uplift by having this happening, we will gain equity in having our property there.
“I would want to test the market and have development happening in Southport. We have more money coming in, there’s more long term rates revenue for our CBD.”
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Originally published as Exclusive: State Government will hand over prime Southport CBD site for council stadium to go ahead
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