BLUEPRINT FOR BOUTIQUE STADIUM
SHORTLISTED SITES FOR VENUE
TOM Tate says a site for a $60 million, 8000-seat boutique stadium where “Caxton Street meets the Staples Centre” will be decided by the end of the year.
In a public-private partnership plan to be released publicly today, the Mayor will propose:
That council contribute cityowned land and road infrastructure while the private operator be given a long-term lease and fund the construction of the complex. Council would retain the right to use the venue for city events on a certain number of days each year.
A short-list of three sites, in Parkwood, Southport and Miami. The Miami depot is considered a frontrunner given its proximity to Pizzey Park which is about to undergo a $20 million makeover.
The stadium would initially be planned as an 8000-seat venue but could be bigger depending on interest from the private sector.
It would have a partially retractable roof and be convertible to host everything from esports to soccer, rugby union, basketball, car shows and large-scale conventions.
Cr Tate said the escalating coronavirus crisis made it clear the importance of broadening and diversifying the city’s economy to be able to host many different types of events.
“Six months from the election, I want to have a site selected, get the user requirements sorted and have the project ready for tender and an architectural design competition which could launch at Christmas,” he said.
The location will be crucial because it must be accessible and not far from public transport.
“To the critics and the social media keyboard warriors, I say this is not an asset fail – this will be a joint venture agreement and one which will get built,” Cr Tate said. “Council will not carry all the load on this – it will be shared between us, Destination Gold Coast and the Government.”
Cr Tate said he wanted the stadium complex to be “Caxton
Street meets The Staples Centre”, referring to the popular food and drink location in Brisbane next to Suncorp Stadium and the popular Los Angeles arena where the LA Lakers basketball team plays.
While a final version of the stadium will be determined by design competition, Cr Tate has highlighted the work of Egyptian architect Mohamed EL Brombaly who developed a multi-purpose boutique stadium design for a potential Olympic Games venue.
Cr Tate said he would approach the state and federal governments to assist in funding upgrades to road infrastructure around the site of the stadium.
The Bulletin revealed in December that the State Government had held early talks with one of the world’s biggest music promoters to build the stadium on the Coast.
Tourism Minster Kate Jones said at the time she had met with Live Nation about “their plans to scope out a location for a new music venue on the Gold Coast”.
Live Nation has expressed enthusiasm to partner with the State Government, saying there was enough demand in the city for live music, but there was nowhere sufficient to bring the acts.
The US-based entertainment giant has brought headline acts such as U2, The Pixies, Rod Stewart and the Dave Matthews Band to Australia in the past year. None of them played the Gold Coast because the city does not have a specialised music hub. Bigger stadiums such as Metricon Stadium at Carrara are considered unsuitable.