Commencement of first stage of redevelopment at Adelaide’s Memorial Drive

Federal Minister Christopher Pyne has given a strong indication that a partnership between the Federal and South Australian Governments will deliver a multipurpose arena next to the Adelaide Oval.

Launching the stage one $9.8 million redevelopment of the historic Memorial Drive tennis complex, which will deliver a new showcourt, more match courts and a clay court complex, Minister Pyne highlighted the envisaged stage two - a multipurpose, $300 million arena for tennis, netball, basketball and concerts.

Minister Pyne advised “I describe it as a beginning ... in my view, of a complete revitalisation of tennis in South Australia.”

Minister Pyne, the Federal MP for the Adelaide electoral division of Sturt, spoke about the importance of the rejuvenation of the city’s riverbank and what a stage two development would mean for sport and entertainment in the city.

Minister Pyne joined Tennis SA President Kent Thiele and Chief Executive Steven Baldas; South Australian  Minister for Recreation, Sport and Racing  Corey Wingard;  Lord Mayor of Adelaide Martin Haese and South Australian tennis legend John Fitzgerald, in turning the first the sod on the Memorial Drive sporting precinct development.

Minister Pyne advised “this first stage will help to continue the proud history of Memorial Drive and will ensure more people are playing tennis more often by increasing the number of high-quality courts available in the city.

“Not only will this bring more tennis to this great city, but it will also serve as an entertainment hub for the city.

“The City of Adelaide is delighted to be a part of this project and thank the Memorial Drive Tennis Club, Next Generation Memorial Drive, Adelaide Oval and Tennis SA for their collaborative approach, along with the Federal Government for its $9.79 million funding commitment.”

Tennis SA’s Baldas described the turning of the sod as an exciting day for South Australian tennis, adding “(this development) will also provide state-of-the-art facilities for the next generation of tennis players to be able to train on all three Grand Slam surfaces allowing us to continue our proud legacy of producing world-class players such as Lleyton Hewitt, Mark Woodforde, Thanasi Kokkinakis, Alicia Molik, Darren Cahill and John Fitzgerald.

“The completion of stage one will also make us ready to begin stage two, the redevelopment of our centre court stadium, enabling us to go after world-class events such as Davis and Fed Cup home ties as well as other international standard professional events.”

The $9.79 million Stage 1 project includes:

• A new outdoor sunken show court and six new match courts
• Tennis pavilion overlooking the show court, with ability to be used as an operational base for tennis and tournament activities within the precinct 
• A five-court clay court centre with show court and pavilion 
• Reestablishment of 13 natural grass courts and four new synthetic grass courts 
• A state-of-the-art National Academy training venue with all three Grand Slam surfaces - clay, grass and hardcourt - so that South Australia can continue to produce world class players
• State-of-the-art LED lighting to tournament standard on all match and practice courts 
• Improved amenities with walkways, shade, shelter and chilled water fountains 
• Secure and dedicated access from Tennis SA Centre Courts to show court, tennis pavilion and new match courts 

Memorial Drive vision
The Memorial Drive redevelopment will bring life and energy to the area and the surrounding Riverbank Precinct 365 days of the year and includes:

• Australia’s newest tennis complex and a new destination for significant international matches, such as Davis Cup and Fed Cup, Association of Tennis Professionals (ATP) and Women’s Tennis Association (WTA) events
• A desirable location for the world’s tennis elite to visit and compete in the lead-up to the Australian Open
• A preferred practice base for Australia’s tennis elite providing three of the world’s Grand Slam court surfaces, one of only two complexes within Australia to do so, enabling athletes to train in their home environment
• A high performance academy training environment
• South Australia’s first “all weather arena” with a state of the art “Wimbledon style” retractable roof and crowd seating design, creating the ultimate atmosphere to attract small to medium concerts and events to the Riverbank precinct
• Spaces for new cafes and offices, with potential to accommodate other sports or attract corporate headquarters from interstate or overseas.

Kennett Builders will begin construction of stage one this week, with completion expected in late 2018.

Images: Federal Minister Christopher Pyne addresses dignitaries at yesterday's sod turning ceremony (top) and an artist's impression of plans for Memorial Drive centre court redevelopment (below).

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