AIS Arena to get $10 million upgrade

The Australian Institute of Sport (AIS) will invest almost $10 million into the venue formerly known as ‘The Palace’ to revamp Canberra's premier indoor venue and breathe new life into the Bruce precinct.

The renovation, to start next year, will see seating, windows, toilets and food services area all revamped to improve the venue's facilities in the hope of attracting a variety of events. The upgrade will force the Canberra Capitals basketball team to search for a new WNBL home before the end of its season.

The news of the upcoming facility facelift follows AIS’s investment of $200,000 in a removable floor last year to help it increase revenue by attracting more sports, concerts, ice skating and even indoor equestrian events.

The AIS precinct has undergone a major overhaul in recent years, with sports moving their bases away from Canberra. To ensure the facilities remain used, AIS has set its sights on attracting sports teams and one-off events to generate revenue throughout the year. The arena will remain the premier indoor venue for sports and concerts until a new undercover stadium is built in Civic within the next decade.

AIS will put the refurbishment out to tender in the coming weeks to find a suitable contractor to complete the work.

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