Work to improve the reserve will begin after the season has concluded and will take up to 20 weeks to complete with the club arranging an alternative location for pre-season training for 2013.
The new precinct will be known as the North Melbourne Community Sports Hub and will be better equipped to cater for community use and provide the players with an elite surface to train on.
Chief Executive Officer Eugene Arocca said it’s a fantastic outcome for the club and local residents.
“The oval redevelopment will provide our players with the best possible training surface and the local community will also benefit from the improved conditions,” Arocca told kangaroos.com.au.
“The reserve and its surrounds are in a dilapidated state and the oval does not meet contemporary standards for AFL or community football venues.
“The refurbishment of the ground is necessary not only for its intended use as an elite football oval, but also to facilitate increased community use and programming.”
Arocca also noted the useable surface area would be significantly increased.
“We are not removing or reducing the total area of green space, we are only converting unusable embankments to flat open green space. In fact, some 500m of current concrete or hard surfaces will be converted into green space with an overall increase of some 2,000m of useable area.”
