Four companies have made it on to a short list of potential operators for a new AU$1bn (€706m, US$795m, £508m) stadium in Perth, Australia.
One of the quartet – AEG Ogden, Nationwide Venue Management, Perth Stadium Management and Stadium Australia Operations – will be selected to manage the 60,000-capacity Perth Stadium, a multi-purpose stadium which will form the centrepiece of a new sporting precinct at Perth’s Burswood district.
AEG Ogden is a joint venture between Australia-based conpanies and AEG Facilities, a stand-alone affiliate of the Anschutz Entertainment Group (AEG). It currently operates a network of arenas, stadiums, exhibition centres and theatres through Australia, Asia, and the Middle East.
Nationwide Venue Management is part of the Melbourne-based Spotless group and focuses on venue management within the leisure, sports and entertainment industry.
Perth Stadium Management is a consortium incorporating the West Australian Football Commission, catering and management company Delaware North, concert promoter Live Nation and Ticketmaster.
Stadium Australia Operations currently operates the ANZ Stadium in Sydney – the host venue of the 2000 Olympic Games.
Due to open in time for the 2018 Australian Football League season, the Perth Stadium will host Australian rules football, rugby, soccer, cricket, and international acts and artists.
Designed by a team consisting of Cox Architecture, design studio Hassell and architects HKS Sports and Entertainment Group, the stadium will be five-tiered with up-to 85 per cent of the seats being under cover. Brookfield Multiplex and John Laing won a contract to build the venue last year and construction started in December 2014.
A number of spectator-friendly design solutions are being planned – such as every seat featuring a cup-holder, an even distribution of 70 food and beverage outlets and 4G Wi-Fi coverage across the stadium.
The design will also allow capacity to be increased by 10,000 additional seats in the future if needed, by adding an extra tier.
Outside the stadium, the surrounding sports precinct has been inspired by Dreamtime stories (mythical aboriginal creation stories). It will have three distinct recreational spaces encouraging use by the community all year round.
A covered Community Arbour, linking the stadium station to the river, will represent Noongar community stories. The western section of the precinct will be home to an amphitheatre, two children’s playgrounds, picnic areas and a boardwalk while the community sporting oval to the north will be available for public use on non-event days, as well as providing event-day parking.
