Provisional theater of the Opening and Closing Ceremonies, as well as the athletics competitions during the Brisbane 2032 Summer Olympic and Paralympic Games, the Gabba Stadium will undergo a profound change which will also impact the surrounding district.
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Avec the signing of a financial framework agreement between the Australian Federal State and the State of Queensland, Friday February 17, 2023a major step has been taken to overhaul the entire Woolloongabbathe district of Brisbane in which the historic Gabba Stadium destined to become the Olympic Stadium for the 2032 Olympics.
So, following months of negotiations between the two public entitiesthe agreement provides for funding to be fully assumed by the Queensland Government, as mentioned a few weeks ago.
Concretely, an envelope of 2.7 billion Australian dollars (1.72 billion euros) will be devoted to a large-scale project which will consist firstly of the demolition and then the reconstruction of the Gabba Stadiumand on the other hand, to an urban requalification which will lead to the construction of new housing, shops and services.
To support this major development, better access to the stadium will be undertaken with the development of a vast tree-lined and vegetated esplanade, but also with the modernization of public transport which will ultimately ensure a better connection of Woolloongabba with the neighborhood South Bank and with the Brisbane River.
The coming months will make it possible to define the development plans to be drawn up for the entire district.
In fact, a call for tenders will be launched this year 2023 to choose the architect and the group of companies that will work on the reconstruction of the Gabba Stadium who will become in fact the cornerstone of the urban regeneration of the district.
For this part – whose provisional budget greatly exceeds the initial estimate of one billion Australian dollars (640 million euros) – the construction of a new 50,000-seat stadium should be carried out between 2026 and 2030 according to the schedule put forward by the authorities.
Beyond the increase in capacity by 8,000 places compared to the current capacity of the Gabbathe redevelopment of the stadium aims above all to offer more comfortable reception conditions for spectators – via in particular the installation of a more advanced roof above the stands – as well as for the players and artists who might perform there.
Accessibility will thus be redesigned, whether on the exterior part between the esplanade and the forecourt, or at the level of the stands and interior spaces, with more spacious entrance halls and lifts and escalators for easier access. to different levels.
Digital connectivity will also be reinforced in order to respond to new uses, thus placing the future enclosure among the standards in terms of communication, while several catering areas will be arranged, as well as shops, along the passageways surrounding the stadium.
The development of the new equipment should also include the installation of changing rooms and more comfortable training structures for the athletes, as well as modern and functional spaces intended for the reception of the journalists called upon to cover the events which will be organized at the Gabba.
Two years before the opening of the Brisbane 2032 Olympic and Paralympic Games, the stadium should also have a footbridge linking the sports arena to a new metro station in the Cross River Rail.
On the basis of this same provisional timetable, the district of Woolloongabba should include thousands of additional housing units – some of which for social purposes – thanks to the construction of new towers, while businesses should also be set up along the esplanade which will then offer a monumental perspective on the Gabba Stadium.
Pedestrian and cycle paths should also be developed to open up the neighborhood to the Brisbane River.
A key player in the project in her capacity as Premier of Queensland, Annastacia Palaszczuk has also taken advantage of the signing of the framework agreement for financing the venues of the 2032 Games to recontextualize the project to redesign the Gabba Stadium and its neighborhood.
As explained by the regional elected official, who undoubtedly intends to take advantage of the Games to support the development of Queensland in the same way as the 2000 Olympic Games were able to contribute to the development of Sydney and its region:
We know that hosting the 2032 Olympic and Paralympic Games is a unique opportunity to accelerate the construction of the infrastructure and housing we need to support a growing Queensland.
The Gabba has hosted the sport for over a century and is home to cricket and the AFL most weeks of the year.
But it’s no secret that Queensland is already losing major sporting events – and the tourism, jobs and investment that come with them – because the Gabba falls short. It must be modernized to maintain our competitiveness for sport and international events.
Woolloongabba has the potential to be the next vibrant neighborhood, but it can’t happen without a coordinated approach.
The reconstruction of the 42,000-seat stadium and the requalification of the surrounding area will nevertheless lead to the closure and dismantling of several existing structures, including theEast Brisbane State School And this, despite the demonstrations which have mobilized parents of students and teachers, as well as associations and local elected officials in recent months.
The school group will thus close its doors no later than December 2025.
Consultations should in any case be established over the next few months with all the actors in the neighborhood in order to define the best option for relocating the said group, knowing that the Queensland Ministry of Education is currently working on three separate projects. .
As Minister Grace Grace pointed out:
I have always said that we will consult with the educational community as soon as we know more regarding the impact of the redevelopment of the Gabba on the school.
The announced plans make it clear that the school cannot remain in its current location beyond December 2025.
Options include relocating the school to new facilities on the underutilized 11 hectare Coorparoo Secondary College site which is a short distance away, and which contrasts with the current 1.5 hectare site which is very limited , bordered by three main roads, with limited access to green spaces and no capacity for expansion.
The first project – likely according to the Minister’s words – would be to move the school complex to a new independent structure regarding 2 kilometers to the east on the larger site of the Coorparoo State Secondary College.
The second project would lead to a merger of theEast Brisbane State School with the College referred to above in order to make it a major educational center in the territory.
Finally, the third project would consist of opening up the possibility of enrolling students from theEast Brisbane State School in other schools in the city, potentially with the construction of adapted premises to meet the additional influx in these existing structures.
