Sydney Stadiums Discussion (Not Parramatta)

[matty]

What an eyesore

[FCWanderers]

http://www.heraldsun.com.au/news/national/perth-stadiums-54-million-footbridge-revealed/story-fnii5thm-1227385905502

 

Article unveiling the new Perth Stadium footbridge.

[BrightSpark]

http://www.heraldsun.com.au/news/national/perth-stadiums-54-million-footbridge-revealed/story-fnii5thm-1227385905502

 

Article unveiling the new Perth Stadium footbridge.

So that's part of what we're paying the half billion dollars to the WA Government for.

Building a bridge to link the old WACA with the new WACA.

[MathyouWSW]

That's a terrible design IMO.

[beatsurrender]

Just reading the TerrorCrap article now and it also says that ANZ bosses are pushing to reconfigure the ground to a rectangular design and that this will cost 600million. It goes onto say that they are therefore pushing for all the available funding and that it makes no sense to spend anything on Pirtek. Steve Mortimer who is on the board supports this approach.

[mack]

A $1 BILLION light rail network linking Parramatta and Strathfield via Sydney Olympic Park is set to be approved, turbocharging the city’s sports and ­entertainment mecca.

The new light-rail service would fuel billions of dollars in housing and job-creating projects along its route, including a $1 billion town centre with shops, restaurants and offices on 5ha in the heart of the Olympic precinct.

 

The move would shore up the future of ANZ Stadium, with long-term plans being drawn up to convert the former Sydney Olympics venue into a permanent rectangular colosseum with every seat moved at least 20m closer to the action.

 

High-level government sources said the Parramatta to Strathfield route had become the “frontrunner†among the four light-rail routes short-listed last October.

Premier Mike Baird is likely to announce the selected route before the NSW Budget is delivered on June 23. “It’s a no-brainer and will be a catalyst for activity right through the Olympic corridor,’’ a government source said.
 
The selected route would link Parramatta’s fast-growing CBD with the Australian Turf Club’s Rosehill racing and convention centre, move across the Camellia peninsula to Sydney Olympic Park then on to Strathfield. Until now, the favoured route for the first stage of Parramatta’s light rail link was to Macquarie Park via Carlingford.
 
“This is truly transformational and it’s about creating the high-tech manufacturing jobs for tomorrow.â€
 
But a push by a consortium of 20 high-profile businesses, who have formed the West Line Alliance lobby group, has convinced senior Treasury and transport bureaucrats to back the Olympic corridor route.

 

West Line Alliance spokesman Christopher Brown said a recent Deloitte report found that businesses would pour $1.1 billion into the government’s coffers through “voluntary planning arrangement†to help pay for key infrastructure.
 
He said the money would also help clean up the industrial wastelands at Camellia around the Shell refinery and former James Hardie asbestos plant, enabling 21,000 new homes to be built over the next 20 years.

 

“This is the one place in Sydney where a planning minister or mayor won’t be burnt in effigy by the Nimbys,’’ he said. “This is truly transformational and it’s about creating the high-tech manufacturing jobs for tomorrow.’’

[West13]

No doubt this is another article put out by lobbyists as 'sources' to gauge support.

[Wanderer74]

I have a feeling that no matter what we do, ANZ Stadium will always win

[Guest NSWanderer15]

This ANZ push is really ridiculous, take a look at how dumb the echo is over in that stadium compared to Parramatta Stadium. Even with 60,000 there is still hardly any atmosphere, if they have any brains they will realise that Western Sydney will be a place to have stadiums with more than 25,000 attendance in the future.

[Hughesy]

I'm over hearing about "the future of ANZ". As it currently stands, it is still a perfectly modern facility, capable of hosting a number of sports and events. There is no NEED to upgrade it, it is strictly a WANT. The monopoly they have over the stadium game in this city alone would ensure its future. 

[Flytox]

How I read this current ANZ idea is that the entire seating bowl will be removed and replaced with a rectangular seating bowl fitted to the dimensions of the pitch. In this case that will be 136m x 82m as required for Rugby League and Union. I'd estimate this rectangularisation might reduce capacity to around 75k and could be achieved at about half the cost of constructing a new 75k stadium on another site.  The reduction in capacity comes about from the increased rake of the tiers required because seats are closer to the side of the pitch.  If my understanding is right then this is a win - win solution as far as the stadium itself is concerned.  The iconic building envelope is retained giving connection to the venues historical use and the interior is configured for the venues new use, i.e. rectangular pitch sports.

 

As far as the proposal to activate the site by including a 5Ha shopping/restaurant/commercial precinct this is long overdue and is needed no matter what happens to the stadium.  With over 20m people pa accessing the site and an extra 100k living in close proximity creating a 24/7 precinct is ideal.  As an indication of the scale of this proposal the block bounded by Church St, the river, Marsden St and the railway line in Parramatta is about 5Ha.  

 

Add the light rail links to the residential areas close by and rail way stations at Rhodes, Strathfield and Parramatta and access to the site for events, work and leisure is greatly improved adding to the experience of attending the site.

 

NB:  The article is about the 5th one written by the same bloke who has talked up ANZ then Allianz then ANZ then Allianz and now ANZ again so I take the article with a grain of salt.

Edited June 8, 2015 by Flytox

[Alexander]

As far as the proposal to activate the site by including a 5Ha shopping/restaurant/commercial precinct this is long overdue and is needed no matter what happens to the stadium.  With over 20m people pa accessing the site and an extra 100k living in close proximity creating a 24/7 precinct is ideal.  As an indication of the scale of this proposal the block bounded by Church St, the river, Marsden St and the railway line in Parramatta is about 5Ha.  

 

Add the light rail links to the residential areas close by and rail way stations at Rhodes, Strathfield and Parramatta and access to the site for events, work and leisure is greatly improved adding to the experience of attending the site.

 

NB:  The article is about the 5th one written by the same bloke who has talked up ANZ then Allianz then ANZ then Allianz and now ANZ again so I take the article with a grain of salt.

Agreed. This upgrade to the surrounds is more than overdue.

[dmixtaaa]

I would take as much notice of this article as I would Jack telling us we have signed the Zlatan.... This is only come about from the ANZ Stadium people because they were told they aren't in the plans for any of the State government funding which has been promised to Allianz and Wanderland. Of course Mortimer and his NRL cronies are upset because we are getting more spent on 'd wogball' and they aren't seeing anything for the braind dead neanderthal glorified forcing backs.

 

I'm sure this design was only penned last week after the 150,000 sokkah hooligans were there. It makes me sick. Like the little boy who cries when his brother gets a birthday present and he doesn't coz it's not his birthday. Grow up FFS you White Anglo Meat and 3 Veg eating racists....

[Burztur]

Flytox is so wize when it comes to stadium matters

[Wanderboy]

How I read this current ANZ idea is that the entire seating bowl will be removed and replaced with a rectangular seating bowl fitted to the dimensions of the pitch. In this case that will be 136m x 82m as required for Rugby League and Union. I'd estimate this rectangularisation might reduce capacity to around 75k and could be achieved at about half the cost of constructing a new 75k stadium on another site.  The reduction in capacity comes about from the increased rake of the tiers required because seats are closer to the side of the pitch.  If my understanding is right then this is a win - win solution as far as the stadium itself is concerned.  The iconic building envelope is retained giving connection to the venues historical use and the interior is configured for the venues new use, i.e. rectangular pitch sports.

 

As far as the proposal to activate the site by including a 5Ha shopping/restaurant/commercial precinct this is long overdue and is needed no matter what happens to the stadium.  With over 20m people pa accessing the site and an extra 100k living in close proximity creating a 24/7 precinct is ideal.  As an indication of the scale of this proposal the block bounded by Church St, the river, Marsden St and the railway line in Parramatta is about 5Ha.  

 

Add the light rail links to the residential areas close by and rail way stations at Rhodes, Strathfield and Parramatta and access to the site for events, work and leisure is greatly improved adding to the experience of attending the site.

 

NB:  The article is about the 5th one written by the same bloke who has talked up ANZ then Allianz then ANZ then Allianz and now ANZ again so I take the article with a grain of salt.

 

 

Just for the record, Concord West, the closest station within walking distance besides Olympic Park itself, has had a major upgrade over the past 18 months.

[matty]

Knock the piece of crap down.

 

The upper tiers are still relatively useless where they are. Too far from the pitch.

[Jowel]

I would have thought that, politically, a light rail line from parra to Macquarie park and another one to castle hill would find more support over one to Olympic park/strathfield. Interesting

 

Will also be interesting how they'd be able to continue accommodating the V8 cars at Olympic park if a light rail track was plonked through the precinct.

 

Wanderboy, the plan is to link the light rail line to Rhodes station via a new bridge at the northern end of wentworth point.

 

Will be interesting to see how this all plays out. Light rail is bloody expensive. Good to see ANZ stadium getting a proper fix up and getting a proper entertainment precinct. But I'll believe it when I see it.

 

Just hurry up and upgrade parra stadium first!

[Wanderboy]

 

Wanderboy, the plan is to link the light rail line to Rhodes station via a new bridge at the northern end of wentworth point.

 

 

 

 

Yeh, that's cool I suppose.

Just thought it was important that Concord West was known as a great point of call for Olympic Park.

I've been doing it since '99, since Olympic Park was finished. I bought a unit  just up the street just after we won the Olympics and have just sold it for a massive profit. I've lived there for the past 2 years.

The new station is fantastic and has only been open about 8 months.

It is so easy to get to OP from Concord. I'm sure it's no secret.

[Gazmon]

Knock the piece of crap down.

 

The upper tiers are still relatively useless where they are. Too far from the pitch.

 

All major stadiums have upper tiers that are a long distance from the pitch... do you propose a stacked-boxed design?

[matty]

 

 

Knock the piece of crap down.

 

The upper tiers are still relatively useless where they are. Too far from the pitch.

All major stadiums have upper tiers that are a long distance from the pitch... do you propose a stacked-boxed design?

What major stadiums around the world have you been to Gaz?

[Gazmon]

 

 

Knock the piece of crap down.

 

The upper tiers are still relatively useless where they are. Too far from the pitch.

All major stadiums have upper tiers that are a long distance from the pitch... do you propose a stacked-boxed design?

What major stadiums around the world have you been to Gaz?

 

 

Hmmm... Wembley, Cowboys, Georgia Dome, Sandford Stadium and many in Australia (Etihad, MCG, Suncorp).

 

Furtherst seat at Wembley (on the sides, say the halfway line) is about 112m to the centre circle. ANZ is around 118m. So yes, slightly further, but not astronomically so. Metlife is around 100m. But, it must be remembered that ANZ was originally designed for the Olympics and the running track and add to that the shallow rake of the lower tier and the upper levels will be further away from the action. It depends how far back you want to sit too... you buy the cheap seats you get the cheap view.

[Smoggy]

 

 

 

Knock the piece of crap down.

 

The upper tiers are still relatively useless where they are. Too far from the pitch.

All major stadiums have upper tiers that are a long distance from the pitch... do you propose a stacked-boxed design?

What major stadiums around the world have you been to Gaz?

 

 

Hmmm... Wembley, Cowboys, Georgia Dome, Sandford Stadium and many in Australia (Etihad, MCG, Suncorp).

 

Furtherst seat at Wembley (on the sides, say the halfway line) is about 112m to the centre circle. ANZ is around 118m. So yes, slightly further, but not astronomically so. Metlife is around 100m. But, it must be remembered that ANZ was originally designed for the Olympics and the running track and add to that the shallow rake of the lower tier and the upper levels will be further away from the action. It depends how far back you want to sit too... you buy the cheap seats you get the cheap view.

 

 

I give you St James Park Newcastle, looks worse in real life than on this photo, I have been on the very back row here, terrible view of the game.

 

Edited June 9, 2015 by WSWBoro

[Hughesy]

Celtic have just had safe standing approved. Why can't we?

[Gazmon]

The more I read about the ANZ-Allianz-Pirtek investments the more I fear that Pirtek will be left in the cold.

 

The State Government would prefer ANZ being converted to a dedicated rectangular venue with a retractable roof (for concerts mostly). It would help attract more events on a regular basis and would be a far better long-term alternative to Allianz. The idea of Allianz being knocked down and a 65,000 seater built to replace it is about as likely as the Wanderers getting their own 40,000 seater in the middle of Parramatta Park.

 

Allianz, with the might of the SCG Trust behind it should secure enough for a cosmetic upgrade, more boxes/suites (like a lot of American venues at the moment) and perhaps a new roof. The dregs will come our way. Pirtek will probably get the upgrade to 24,000 and the fluffy bits as per the renders floating around. Ideally, if we did get a few hundred million our way we'd have to go budget stadium - see Avaya Stadium in San Jose for an idea.

[beatsurrender]

The more I read about the ANZ-Allianz-Pirtek investments the more I fear that Pirtek will be left in the cold.

 

The State Government would prefer ANZ being converted to a dedicated rectangular venue with a retractable roof (for concerts mostly). It would help attract more events on a regular basis and would be a far better long-term alternative to Allianz. The idea of Allianz being knocked down and a 65,000 seater built to replace it is about as likely as the Wanderers getting their own 40,000 seater in the middle of Parramatta Park.

 

Allianz, with the might of the SCG Trust behind it should secure enough for a cosmetic upgrade, more boxes/suites (like a lot of American venues at the moment) and perhaps a new roof. The dregs will come our way. Pirtek will probably get the upgrade to 24,000 and the fluffy bits as per the renders floating around. Ideally, if we did get a few hundred million our way we'd have to go budget stadium - see Avaya Stadium in San Jose for an idea.

 

I agree. The impetus is definitely with ANZ it seems. They have louder voices and more powerful lobbyists in the governments ear. Not sure what is happening behind the scenes but it’s gone very quiet on the Pirtek front in the media at least.

• ANZ seems certain to get plenty of $$
• The Eels will play more games out there if it’s reconfigured to a rectangular stadium reducing the need (in the bean counters eyes) to spend much on Pirtek.
• They want to gentrify the Homebush/Olympic Park area and this will be seen as a benefit towards that end.
• They are also talking about improving transport options between Parra (& the west) and Olympic Park.
• Think Pirtek will get cosmetic improvements, as you say to 24K.
• All of this will take years and years anyway.

[matty]

 

 

 

 

Knock the piece of crap down.

 

The upper tiers are still relatively useless where they are. Too far from the pitch.

All major stadiums have upper tiers that are a long distance from the pitch... do you propose a stacked-boxed design?

What major stadiums around the world have you been to Gaz?

Hmmm... Wembley, Cowboys, Georgia Dome, Sandford Stadium and many in Australia (Etihad, MCG, Suncorp).

 

Furtherst seat at Wembley (on the sides, say the halfway line) is about 112m to the centre circle. ANZ is around 118m. So yes, slightly further, but not astronomically so. Metlife is around 100m. But, it must be remembered that ANZ was originally designed for the Olympics and the running track and add to that the shallow rake of the lower tier and the upper levels will be further away from the action. It depends how far back you want to sit too... you buy the cheap seats you get the cheap view.

Thank you, I'll take your word for it on the numbers but of course there's alot of variables.

 

From my experience from grounds such as Suncorp, MCG and particularly San Siro, we should be able to do A LOT better with a ~80k venue. Putting lipstick on this pig won't cut it. As you said, it was built for the Olympics, not football and it shows and always will as the top tiers are ghost towns, even when full.

 

Knock it down and build a San Siro.

 

Unfortunately I dream, they'll just keep making changes to this Frankenstein.

.

Edited June 9, 2015 by matty

[Gazmon]

 

 

 

 

Knock the piece of crap down.

 

The upper tiers are still relatively useless where they are. Too far from the pitch.

All major stadiums have upper tiers that are a long distance from the pitch... do you propose a stacked-boxed design?

What major stadiums around the world have you been to Gaz?

Hmmm... Wembley, Cowboys, Georgia Dome, Sandford Stadium and many in Australia (Etihad, MCG, Suncorp).

 

Furtherst seat at Wembley (on the sides, say the halfway line) is about 112m to the centre circle. ANZ is around 118m. So yes, slightly further, but not astronomically so. Metlife is around 100m. But, it must be remembered that ANZ was originally designed for the Olympics and the running track and add to that the shallow rake of the lower tier and the upper levels will be further away from the action. It depends how far back you want to sit too... you buy the cheap seats you get the cheap view.

Thank you, I'll take your word for it on the numbers but of course there's alot of variables.

 

From my experience from grounds such as Suncorp, MCG and particularly San Siro, we should be able to do A LOT better with a ~80k venue. Putting lipstick on this pig won't cut it. As you said, it was built for the Olympics, not football and it shows and always will as the top tiers are ghost towns, even when full.

 

Knock it down and build a San Siro.

 

Unfortunately I dream, they'll just keep making changes to this Frankenstein.

.

 

 

I do like ANZ, but I also dislike it in the same breath. Not sure I would knock it down... would the benefits outweigh the negatives, long term? Doubtful. Most events never reach more than 20,000. So, bringing the seats in and not using the upper tiers would negate most of the distance issues. ANZ has its place I guess... I would much prefer a 30,000 seater in Parramatta and be done with it.

[matty]

That's kind of a silly argument though, to say we've optimised 20k seats (the lower bowl seats more) of this 80k stadium as attendances rarely go above this.

 

The purpose of a 80k stadium is to attract showpiece events and in turn 80k people.

The struggle to sell out one State Of Origin this year (and previous years) says a lot.

 

We should have a world class (from a spectators point of view) 60+k stadium in Sydney, currently we don't.

[beatsurrender]

Anyone know when the stadium strategy is finally announced?

[Gazmon]

That's kind of a silly argument though, to say we've optimised 20k seats (the lower bowl seats more) of this 80k stadium as attendances rarely go above this.

 

The purpose of a 80k stadium is to attract showpiece events and in turn 80k people.

The struggle to sell out one State Of Origin this year (and previous years) says a lot.

 

We should have a world class (from a spectators point of view) 60+k stadium in Sydney, currently we don't.

 

More from a Rugby League perspective than anything else. ANZ are paying teams to play there, rather than the other way around - so, stadium management are clearly quite happy with sub-20,000 attendances.

 

I do agree with the 60,000 seat option. If it wasn't too costly a stadium like Allianz Arena (Germany) could be perfect for Sydney.