Gabba renovation plans scrapped
The Olympics are coming to Brisbane in 2032. Brisbane, the state of Queensland, and in fact the entire country are focusing their efforts on increasing the existing infrastructure in Brisbane before the iconic sporting spectacle comes to the city.
Initially, the Brisbane Olympics organisers had planned on spending $2.7 billion to renovate the Gabba in order to make it their Olympics hub and main 2032 Olympics venue. This plan suited Brisbane Lions, as it would have allowed them get the stadium upgrade they desperately needed without having to leave their historic home stadium.
The plans to renovate the Gabba have since been abandoned, leaving both Lions and Brisbane Olympics organisers looking for alternatives.
Lions want new 70,000-seat stadium
The easiest alternative for the Brisbane Olympics organisers is just to host Olympic events at existing venues in Brisbane. This is the preferred plan of John Coates, the Former president of the Australian Olympic Committee.
Coates has proposed that the opening and closing ceremonies be held at Suncorp Stadium. Track and field events would then be held at the Queensland Sport and Athletics Centre in the suburb of Nathan. Lions and some current Olympics organisers are backing a more ambitious plan.
Graham Quirk, former Lord Mayor of Brisbane, is pushing forward a plan to build a new 70,000-seat stadium at Victoria Park. The entire stadium campus would cover 90 hectares and include an indoor arena. If this plan is approved, the new Victoria Park stadium will also be Lions’ new home.
Lions CEO talks up new stadium
It’s unclear whether Lions’ move would come after the 2032 Olympics or whether they would make the move as soon as the stadium is built. Brisbane ownership has backed Quirk’s plan, so we can assume they would want to move as soon as possible.
“We think it looks fantastic,” Lions CEO Gregg Swann said this week. “Obviously, the focus is the stadium for us, but the way that proposal flows, there’s education facilities, there’s hospitals, there’s green space…it just looks something that you’d like to think governments of all persuasions will [support].”
Swann also addressed the criticism of government funds being used to build a stadium. “I know it’s easy to say ‘why are you spending money on the stadium’?, but every big city has stadiums, hospitals, schools … there’s a place for everything.”
Despite all these comments, Swann says he would be happy if a new stadium isn’t built as long as the government is willing to assist Lions give the Gabba “a bit of an upgrade.” The Gabba currently has a capacity of about 37,000 for Lions matches.
