News Gabba Upgrade & Olympics News

[Elixuh]

I get there will be the train station but I just don’t get how that area will manage accommodating the entry and exit of 55k + 12/17k. It struggles with 33k atm.

 

[Section 5]

I love the aesthetics of the mock up, would definitely need raised wide walkways all around the Gabba to disperse the crowd over Mains Rd to the Bus/cross river rail and Stanley/Vulture Streets into surrounding streets.

The walkway all the way to Southbank another good move.

I wonder if where the Lions and Cricket go while this is potentially being done is part of the 100 day review terms of reference.

Where would Lions and cricket go?
Only two options in my opinion if they decide to go with a Gabba rebuild and also host athletics.
Carrara and RNA
The Gabba was to be demolished after the Ashes test match in 2025 so January 2026.
Thats only 14 months away
It could be getting a bit too late to have the RNA ready in time.
Hopefully there would be some money to upgrade capacity at Carrara if that ends up being the only choice.
Lions and cricket don't want either, but they may have no choice.

Olympic timeframes on the 2 big projects have now become very tight after wasting 3 years.

Once the review decision is made, they could start the RNA quickly. But Governments don't do anything quickly
It may depend on how detailed the Labor costings for the RNA were.
Politically Crisafulli would love to redo the costings to show how incompetent Labor are with a revised figure way above the $137 million.
That seems to be his aim lately, costs blowouts by the previous Labor government. Reminder, he is not in opposition now.
Crisafulli keeps saying there is plenty of time but that's not true anymore.

 

[Grasshopper17]

Always liked this proposal, it looks awesome and I also like the BA across the road, a beautiful entertainment precinct.
And something Brisbane should be proud of.

How about we swap it around and say $2.5b for the stadium and $2.1b for the Arena
Or $4.6b for the full development and the Feds to throw in a maximum of $2.5b?

Whilst I agree that it does look great, how on earth could you build that there for $2.5b when a new stadium at Victoria Park is budgeted at $3.4b? Surely any Gabba development will be multiple times as costly due to access issues etc?

 

[M Malice]

 

[Section 5]

I get there will be the train station but I just don’t get how that area will manage accommodating the entry and exit of 55k + 12/17k. It struggles with 33k atm.

Getting 33-35k struggles at the moment after the game because only buses being used.
i don't see too much of an issue with arriving at the venues but the exit is a different matter
The train will help
But as you say 50K plus 15k is a lot of people if they leave at the same time

Imagine how difficult that is going to be to build in that area

Agree it would be difficult especially with people still using the bus and the rail when opened
I don't think it would get approval but who knows.
The building does not need to be futuristic like in the images
A new type of structure could cover much less land area than shown

 

[Elixuh]

Getting 33-35k struggles at the moment after the game because only buses being used.
i don't see too much of an issue with arriving at the venues but the exit is a different matter
The train will help
But as you say 50K plus 15k is a lot of people if they leave at the same time


Agree it would be difficult especially with people still using the bus and the rail when opened
I don't think it would get approval but who knows.
The building does not need to be futuristic like in the images
A new type of structure could cover much less land area than shown

The train and majority of busses are in the same location. Then there are the busses that sit in random streets around the venue. They’re effectively doubling the capacity, so it’s just going to be a shit show.

 

[Dalions]

Whilst I agree that it does look great, how on earth could you build that there for $2.5b when a new stadium at Victoria Park is budgeted at $3.4b? Surely any Gabba development will be multiple times as costly due to access issues etc?

Quirk did say that the stadium itself at VIC Park would only be around $2-2.2b with the rest being all of the attached work required.
The costing for the Gabba development also ran out to around $2.7b.
But I agree, I am just dreaming

 

[Chucky_23]

Adding the BL venue to the Gabba footprint might be an effective way to fudge the costs a bit to avoid looking like hypocrites i.e. basically spend the same amount of money on the Gabba that Labor were going to but add the BL funding to the pot and somehow claim they're spending less.

The pics look nice. Personally, I'd be a bit disappointed in a 55k stadium and I think the area is just a bit limited with the big roads roaring past even if there is an overpass area. Reckon VP so much more upside as they say

 

[Dalions]

View attachment 2164239

I’ll have a seat in the blue stadium thanks

 

[Mr Ripper]

View attachment 2164239

"Do you think anyone will notice the oval is 3/4 sized if we make the 50 metre arcs 35 metres?"

 

[Chucky_23]

"Do you think anyone will notice the oval is 3/4 sized if we make the 50 metre arcs 35 metres?"

You can also make the centre square 45x45. It's what we do at the local juniors

 

[Dalions]

"Do you think anyone will notice the oval is 3/4 sized if we make the 50 metre arcs 35 metres?"

Will be great watching them kick from “50” and the ball going into the 20th row back.

 

[Section 5]

Whilst I agree that it does look great, how on earth could you build that there for $2.5b when a new stadium at Victoria Park is budgeted at $3.4b? Surely any Gabba development will be multiple times as costly due to access issues etc?

The Quirk report mentions $2.7 billion including pulldown, $3 billion including warm up track and an extra $185-$360 million for displacement costs for AFL and cricket.
His estimate for Victoria Park is as you say $3-3.4 billion

I agree that on costs previously put forward it would be difficult
But it is $4.6 billion not the $2.5 billion you mentioned.

All the groundwork has been done (for CRR) on what the land can support building wise, so that will save a lot of money and time.
Assuming it can be done on the site in the first place.
So just a building to be constructed not a futuristic one in the image but a functional building for an Entertainment Centre.
Gabba $3 billion, Entertainment Centre well under $1.6 billion = $4.6 billion

I think you could build a very good 15K seat Brisbane Arena for well under $1.6 billion going on the Gold Coasts one planned.
If it is the site problems (underground) in the Roma Street precinct costing the extra $1 billion than find another site.
The Gold coast estimated costs for a 12k capacity Entertainment Centre is $480 million.

 

[Andyz]

Imagine how difficult that is going to be to build in that area

Yes I can only imagine the cost and disruption of trying to build that......Stanley & Vulture street are never quiet and major access points to the hospitals....as is main street too.

Just seems like a stadium at Vic park would cost half as much as this Gabba idea....but as we all know Governments don't make logical decisions so they will probably just blow the extra money on it haha

All I know is if Vic park doesn't go ahead then at least if this does we will still have something decent to look forward to in 5 years or so..... suppose it doesn't bother me whether the Gov't spend 2.5b or 6b, just as long as we have a good stadium that I can actually get a bloody seat at....well assuming that a 55k stadium is still big enough by the time it actually eventuates.....

 

[Section 5]

The train and majority of busses are in the same location. Then there are the busses that sit in random streets around the venue. They’re effectively doubling the capacity, so it’s just going to be a shit show.

You are probably right 55+15 = 70K so double the present capacity. That's if both fill at the same time.
You do have the added connectivity to Southbank for those that like to walk.

They could clash on finishing times but not always
I don't go to concerts. What time do they usually start/finish?
Basketball game usual start/finish times?

However, a lot of BF posters wanted a 60K stadium at the Gabba and no one seemed too worried about congestion.
You would get 60K exiting at the same time in that case seeing we are working on capacities.
EDIT: Adele had 2 nights of 60k at the Gabba 4th,5th March 2017. No train station. No idea how bad it was to leave.

Also, interesting that at Vic Park we want 70K with just buses to get us home or a long walk to a rail station.
I did propose a new rail station be built, but Quirk did not.

 

[Andyz]

You are probably right 55+15 = 70K so double the present capacity. That's if both fill at the same time.
You do have the added connectivity to Southbank for those that like to walk.

They could clash on finishing times but not always
I don't go to concerts. What time do they usually start/finish?
Basketball game usual start/finish times?

However, a lot of BF posters wanted a 60K stadium at the Gabba and no one seemed too worried about congestion.
You would get 60K exiting at the same time in that case seeing we are working on capacities.
EDIT: Adele had 2 nights of 60k at the Gabba 4th,5th March 2017. No train station. No idea how bad it was to leave.

Also, interesting that at Vic Park we want 70K with just buses to get us home or a long walk to a rail station.
I did propose a new rail station be built, but Quirk did not.

They currently “work around” the crowd disbursement issue by closing down all the roads around the Gabba for 15 - 20 mins….now whether they can do that on major thoroughfares when the city is twice the population & the crowd is doubled remains to be seen. It must be a very costly process to have that many police officers directing traffic & I can’t help but wonder how they’ve managed to avoid incidents, they’ve obviously done a fantastic job given the roads & intersections are so busy & congested almost always.

With Vic park the station is only 1km away isn’t it? I usually walk from Southbank to the Gabba currently so I figured Vic park is relatively easy - compared to now anyway.

 

[Gadzorks]

Anything other than Vic Park is financially devastating for the club.

Smaller venues, remote venues will mean memberships must cost less, and there will be less of them.

We can't catch a break. 10 years in the wilderness because of draft concessions to new teams, and 10 years of success and financial boon lost to poor government leadership.

 

[Section 5]

They currently “work around” the crowd disbursement issue by closing down all the roads around the Gabba for 15 - 20 mins….now whether they can do that on major thoroughfares when the city is twice the population & the crowd is doubled remains to be seen. It must be a very costly process to have that many police officers directing traffic & I can’t help but wonder how they’ve managed to avoid incidents, they’ve obviously done a fantastic job given the roads & intersections are so busy & congested almost always.

No doubt the site after the game will be an issue but manageable. The police do a great job as you say.
Crowd dispersion is manageable now with no rail and just 2 bus routes leaving Wooloongabba bus station for 1 hour after the game.
Buses also lined up in the usual street positions as you mention.

At present only Vulture and Stanley Street are closed after the game.
Buses are lined up in one lane only on Wellington Road outside The Gabba.
Police on that intersection directing all traffic on Stanley Street right into Wellington Road.
Main Street is open, but you can't turn into Vulture Street after the game until it is reopened.
Only 2 bus routes leave from Wooloongabba Bus station after the game for 1 hour. Then normal routes start up again
Because of all of the above, Stanley Street is full of buses only going to the city to get people moving

In a few of the Gabba designs they had pedestrian access over Main and Stanley streets.
This allows normal bus routes to resume and go through that intersection as usual.
It allows people to catch the bus home that they arrived in coming to the game.
I still envisage police manning Stanley/Main intersection for safety reasons possibly with the lights working as they do pregame.
Then you have the train station going in both directions that's currently missing and can carry a lot more people than buses
This could mean less city bound buses in Stanley Street or not.

 

[GenericUsername202]

Realistically speaking, if we were to get a 55-60k stadium. How much of that would we be able to fill out?

 

[Gadzorks]

Realistically speaking, if we were to get a 55-60k stadium. How much of that would we be able to fill out?

It will vary with team performance. Such is all sport.

Unfortunately by the time we are rehomed we will have run through this period of dominance, and the years of travel to the Gold Coast stadium with limited access for members will have decimated the attendance numbers and will 'prove' there was no need for a bigger stadium.

The opposite of 'if you build it, they will come'.

 

[M Malice]

They currently “work around” the crowd disbursement issue by closing down all the roads around the Gabba for 15 - 20 mins….now whether they can do that on major thoroughfares when the city is twice the population & the crowd is doubled remains to be seen. It must be a very costly process to have that many police officers directing traffic & I can’t help but wonder how they’ve managed to avoid incidents, they’ve obviously done a fantastic job given the roads & intersections are so busy & congested almost always.

With Vic park the station is only 1km away isn’t it? I usually walk from Southbank to the Gabba currently so I figured Vic park is relatively easy - compared to now anyway.

I heard an interview with some guy on SENQ(IIRC) a few weeks ago and he was saying there are multiple train platforms within a 20-25 minute walk of his proposed Vic Park stadium site similar to the MCG.

Ten's of thousands of people walk/stroll down along the Yarra into the city post the games I have been to at the MCG, parks around a site for dispersal of the crowds are great.

 

[M Malice]

It will vary with team performance. Such is all sport.

Unfortunately by the time we are rehomed we will have run through this period of dominance, and the years of travel to the Gold Coast stadium with limited access for members will have decimated the attendance numbers and will 'prove' there was no need for a bigger stadium.

The opposite of 'if you build it, they will come'.

Yep, that is a massive negative re a Gabba rebuild, it would be such a shame to be a Gold Coast based side for circa 4 years while we are right up there in Premiership contention, years of travelling to the Gold Coast for "home" games does not fill me with much enthusiasm.

 

[Andyz]

It will vary with team performance. Such is all sport.

Unfortunately by the time we are rehomed we will have run through this period of dominance, and the years of travel to the Gold Coast stadium with limited access for members will have decimated the attendance numbers and will 'prove' there was no need for a bigger stadium.

The opposite of 'if you build it, they will come'.

The last 2 years we would have filled a 60k + stadium for the both Blues finals!
Both those games would have been absolutely tremendous with such massive home crowds and a real income earner for both the Lions and for the local economy!

In 2023 the Port Adelaide final also sold out.

A bigger stadium should mean cheaper tickets and memberships too - currently as soon as a game appears to be getting near capacity the prices become horrendous....I remember looking up tickets to GWS match round 23 and it was going to cost over $200 for a non restricted view seat! At prices like that I'm surprised they ever fill the Gabba currently....they really price most people out as the stadium fills up it's just a crazy amount of money to spend for one game.

 

[Kernel Kurtz]

The last 2 years we would have filled a 60k + stadium for the both Blues finals!
Both those games would have been absolutely tremendous with such massive home crowds and a real income earner for both the Lions and for the local economy!

In 2023 the Port Adelaide final also sold out.

A bigger stadium should mean cheaper tickets and memberships too - currently as soon as a game appears to be getting near capacity the prices become horrendous....I remember looking up tickets to GWS match round 23 and it was going to cost over $200 for a non restricted view seat! At prices like that I'm surprised they ever fill the Gabba currently....they really price most people out as the stadium fills up it's just a crazy amount of money to spend for one game.

They are definitely making hay.
Maybe and this is so the right thread, they are contemplating a big disruption due to being relocated during a build.
Lets face it is it a big chance it will happen.
That still doesn't excuse them for over charging imo.

 

[M Malice]

Have the names of or even some names been published re who is going to sit on and/or Chair the 100 day review?