$2 million facelift for Members Equity Stadium

[travelling_gerry]

Nick Taylor

July 25, 2009 09:40am


MEMBERS Equity Stadium will get a $2 million facelift as the home of the Western Force.
The Force will play its Super 14 games at MES from next season after leaving Subiaco Oval where crowds have fallen drastically because of appalling viewing conditions.

The club secured the $2 million, interest free loan from the State Government this week for upgraded lighting, more corporate facilities and extra general seating.

It will lift stadium capacity from 18,156 to more than 20,500. Force membership, including corporates and season ticket holders was 17,000 last season.

Upgraded lighting, particularly in the north west and south west corners on the grandstand side, is expected to cost between $300,000-$800,000.

The lighting is needed for the ``super slo-mo'' cameras used by video referees adjudicating on contentious tries.

It is not yet known what is needed but work will start next month when S14 broadcaster Fox Sports is in Perth for the Wallabies Test against South Africa at Subiaco Oval.

The stadium currently has 12 large suites catering for 240 people and seats another 240 in small open boxes.

The Force will build temporary suites at the northern end, either side of ``The Shed'' to cater for a further 180 corporate patrons.

A corporate marquee for match day functions will hold another 500 who will have seats in the eastern stand.

The final part of the make-over will be an extra 900 seats in the south east and north west corners.
The main grandstand will hold only corporate members and ``The Shed'' will remain a standing only terrace stand.

The Force has said in the past that it believes the State Government should honour a $25 million pledge to help upgrade the stadium.

The former Labor government promised the money when the Perth bid for the Super 14 side was being prepared.

A $30,000 upgrade of some player facilities was carried out by the Town of Vincent for the Glory games with Wolverhampton Wanderers and Fulham.

The council estimates the stadium could be upgraded for $60-$70 million.

http://www.news.com.au/perthnow/stor...005403,00.html

[oxleymoron]

Is this $2M from the gov on top of the $1M that RugbyWA and Allia commited to back in May?

[shasta]

If Allia are going to be pushed to give up/sell back the lease they probably won't want to commit any money. Those negotiations could be tricky. Hopefully the lease is as loose as some I have known - where the owners can resume practically whenever it suits.

[jargan83]

If Allia are going to be pushed to give up/sell back the lease they probably won't want to commit any money. Those negotiations could be tricky. Hopefully the lease is as loose as some I have known - where the owners can resume practically whenever it suits.

If the Govenrment could get the WAFC to agree to give up it's lease on Subi (although we will never know the full extent of what was offered in it's place) I would assume that Allia will be just as easy to get a lease back off of. But then again as a private business may be wiulling to fight harder to keep it or for compensation at least

[normie]

Has anyone heard anything? Fox sports were going to check things out at MES for their requirements this week ...

[slomo]

youd think that fox sports already knows the set up at mes , due to the glory games they cover there.....
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[PerthGirl]

Why not just give them the money now - with all the new resources contracts that have just been signed there will be plenty of money around

[jargan83]

youd think that fox sports already knows the set up at mes , due to the glory games they cover there.....
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Super 14 may require more cameras then then the Glory games so they would have to go and see where they can set them up

[slomo]

good good....
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[Hansie]

Question: Bob Kucera, on behalf of the Govt. promised 25 mil to RugbyWA for Stadium related upgrade costs. End of season in 2008 Stookie said money is still there but with interest is now up to around 40 million. Why is rugbyWA then "borrowing money" from the Govt. albeit interest free? Surely 40 mil would improve the stadium and surrounds permanently?

[jargan83]

That money was put into the new MPS when the MPS was announced by the previous Labor Government and that was the last of it we ever heard of it. The $2 million is a stop gap measure after the Liberal Government announced back in July an upgrade of MES would take place

[GIGS20]

still hoping for the $160 million Greenfield solution

[AndyS]

Only the $2M stopgap is relevant for next year. Time is ticking and some of the issues are already known - I hope something is already happening...

[normie]

The TMO cameras need higher wattage globes (ok, probably a bit more techo than that) for the slow motion stuff for a start; I'm guessing that in reality it's going to take more than a few months to fix up the light towers, expanded seating areas, creature comforts (bars loos etc). I'm just a tad surprised that there is either no work started or any news on any works that have started...

[Sheikh]

I'm just a tad surprised that there is either no work started or any news on any works that have started...

I'm not! I can imagine that the $2 million will be broken down as:

$10,000 for 2000 plastic garden chairs from Bunnings;
$5,000 for some garden lighting strung along the side of the pitch (also from Bunnings - for the irony they'll be bought at the Subi branch); and
$1,985,000 on lawyers arguing over how the money should be better spent.