North Melbourne has lodged detailed plans for a $10 million redevelopment of its Arden St headquarters that will transform its home ground in a match-ready venue ahead of the club's entry into the AFLW in 2019.
The Kangaroos' proposed redevelopment will include:
- Two team change rooms
- Umpires change rooms
- Expanded warm-up areas
- Coach's boxes
- A media box
- Medical facilities
- Office space for the club's new AFLW and VFL staff.
Most of the new facilities will be housed in a two-storey extension that will be built on a vacant concrete slab adjacent to North's administration and training centre, while the coach's boxes and media box will be positioned in the existing building so they are near the wing.
A scoreboard and interchange benches will also be installed around the ground, along with improved lighting so the Roos' AFLW and VFL teams can train at night.
North recently lodged its redevelopment plans with the Melbourne City Council and is hoping the council will consider them at one of its scheduled December meetings.
North CEO Carl Dilena told AFL.com.au that if the club's plans were approved, works were expected to commence by April next year and to be completed by January 2019, in readiness for the Kangaroos' inaugural season in the AFLW.
Dilena was excited to be one step closer to watching North's AFLW team play at Arden St Oval and said the redevelopment would bind the club even more closely to its local community.
And with the population of that community set to explode as the Victorian Government moves to transform the traditionally industrial precincts of Macaulay and Arden into largely residential ones, Dilena says the club has a gilt-edged opportunity.
"The government is creating a massive residential suburb on our doorstep which is really exciting and is also a really big incentive for us to make sure we get the ground into a great position and we get the club positioned well too," Dilena said.
"We want to get our three-team model working within the club in an expanded facility, in an area where there's going to be massive growth over the next 10 years.
"We'll then look with the government and other planners at the broader precinct in terms of making sporting and recreational hubs for the area.
"The years ahead offer a once-in-a-generation opportunity and are really exciting"
North's redevelopment would be the first step in what it hopes will be a large-scale revamp that would transform its base into the biggest inner-city training complex in Melbourne.
AFL.com.au reported in May that the Kangaroos had submitted plans to the government in which its Arden St home's footprint would grow from 4.5ha to 11.2ha and would be upgraded to include:
- An indoor centre with a large synthetic oval
- A second indoor centre with four multi-use hard courts
- An indoor aquatic centre with a 50m pool
- An outdoor synthetic oval with lighting
- A café and other shops
The Kangaroos' plan was submitted in response to the government's proposed $7 billion redevelopment of Arden.
The government's planning authority is expected to release updated plans for the new precinct early next year.
