The link below contains the recommendations to Council for the latest stage of the upgrade. The text in the drawings, even when saved elsewhere and blown-up, can be difficult to read, but it all looks quite impressive. As reported elsewhere, the seating in front of the JT and the Arko stands will be replaced with a higher raked tiering that extends up to the existing stands. The upshot here is that the driveway onto the playing area in front of the Arko, will be lost so a new access point will be created in the southeast corner. The players' race cage should also be going as the new seating will crowd in on the race.The old beer kiosk on the Hill is going and there appears to be an (even newer) access point (in that vicinity) to the ground at the back of the Hill.
The top of the Hill also looks to have a concrete pathway all the way around to the Northern Hill, which will have quite a deep concourse, with newer turnstiles and disabled access. There looks to be a new kiosk(?) at the northeastern corner of the Hill. The old dunny block in the northwestern corner will go. The northward extension to the JT Stand includes new kiosks and toilets (which will extend in a long permanent structure across part of the existing Hasbeen Hill area. The remains of that area looks like it will be will be flattened and 'concoursed' as well. The existing Stand will extend westward, to level with the rear areas of the press boxes, so they should have better facilities for the corporates in there too. There will be lift access at the northern end also, on top of a new lift in the Arko stand.
It looks like most, if not all, the temporary structures will be going - i.e. the existing food/beverage kiosks at the northwest and northeastern corners and that crappy sh-tbox that has defaced the middle of the Hill since the mid-90s.
It should look very smart as the designers, Smith-Tzannes, are a top architectural practice and we should start to have a ground that will no longer be tagged Sydney's worst NRL venue (which I don't believe is true anyway).
From there, lets hope that Scott Penn and David Perry are working the phones and pressing the flesh for more money to replace the remaining bench seats, installation of a brand new playing surface and maybe some terracing/seating on the northern hill (hence more season ticket opportunities for a moderate capital outlay), to form a nice springboard to bigger developments. And what has happened to the proposal (which Council agreed to) to sell naming rights to the Oval?
Sorry for the long-winded post, but with any luck the Club may be able to provide us with more updates in the coming months.
http://www.warringah.nsw.gov.au/plan_dev/documents/ADPReport20111010Item3.14.pdf
The top of the Hill also looks to have a concrete pathway all the way around to the Northern Hill, which will have quite a deep concourse, with newer turnstiles and disabled access. There looks to be a new kiosk(?) at the northeastern corner of the Hill. The old dunny block in the northwestern corner will go. The northward extension to the JT Stand includes new kiosks and toilets (which will extend in a long permanent structure across part of the existing Hasbeen Hill area. The remains of that area looks like it will be will be flattened and 'concoursed' as well. The existing Stand will extend westward, to level with the rear areas of the press boxes, so they should have better facilities for the corporates in there too. There will be lift access at the northern end also, on top of a new lift in the Arko stand.
It looks like most, if not all, the temporary structures will be going - i.e. the existing food/beverage kiosks at the northwest and northeastern corners and that crappy sh-tbox that has defaced the middle of the Hill since the mid-90s.
It should look very smart as the designers, Smith-Tzannes, are a top architectural practice and we should start to have a ground that will no longer be tagged Sydney's worst NRL venue (which I don't believe is true anyway).
From there, lets hope that Scott Penn and David Perry are working the phones and pressing the flesh for more money to replace the remaining bench seats, installation of a brand new playing surface and maybe some terracing/seating on the northern hill (hence more season ticket opportunities for a moderate capital outlay), to form a nice springboard to bigger developments. And what has happened to the proposal (which Council agreed to) to sell naming rights to the Oval?
Sorry for the long-winded post, but with any luck the Club may be able to provide us with more updates in the coming months.
http://www.warringah.nsw.gov.au/plan_dev/documents/ADPReport20111010Item3.14.pdf
