MELBOURNE: Details of the final designs that will see the iconic WACA Ground transformed into a 10,000-capacity boutique cricket venue have been provided ahead of construction on the A$64 million redevelopment project by Cricket Australia’s official website.
A revitalisation of the WACA Ground has been on the cards since the nearby state-of-the-art Perth Stadium, which holds 55,000 for cricket matches, opened with an Australia-England ODI in January 2018.
With all KFC BBL and men’s international cricket now played at that venue, the WACA will be transformed in a similar way that Cricket Victoria have given a new lease on life to Melbourne’s Junction Oval.
The completed improvement project will deliver a 10-lane indoor cricket and multi-sport facility, dedicated high performance facilities for elite players, including new gym, change rooms and recovery facilities and a modernised museum to honour the venue’s rich history.
The size of the playing surface will also be increased, allowing the WACA to host Australian Rules football games, while shade will be installed for the grassy banks that will be retained on the eastern and western sides of the ground.
Two current stands – the Inverarity and Prindiville stands – will be demolished to make way for a new central pavilion at the northern entrance that will also house a modernised WACA museum, community health club, sports medicine and rehab centre, and café.
The current Lillee-Marsh Stand, players’ pavilion and south west pavilion will be retained.
Designs released Friday also included an open-air six-lane 50m swimming pool with views over the playing surface, including a transparent water slide that wraps around one of the venue’s light towers. However final approval for the aquatic centre is yet to be secured with the WACA still in negotiations with the city of Perth.
Work is expected to start later this year prior to the 2021-22 cricket season with a scheduled completion in early 2024, making it a two-and-a-half-year redevelopment project.
WACA chairman Tuck Waldron said these designs “showcase the much-needed revitalisation of the iconic home of cricket in WA into a year-round community destination for all to enjoy”.
“The transformation of this world-famous ground will have significant benefits for our great game and the needs of the wider community now and into the future, and will play a key role in activating the East Perth precinct,” Waldron added in a statement.
“The design presents exciting opportunities for both the community and delivery of our high-performance program.”
Cricket Australia’s Interim CEO Nick Hockley said: “It is incredibly exciting to see the WACA Ground Improvement Project take its next step with the unveiling of the plans for the precinct. This will be a truly world-class facility that will greatly benefit cricket in the West and Australian Cricket more generally.”
