Perth Entertainment Centre demolition makes way for new City Link

Demolition of the old Perth Entertainment Centre has begun, marking an important milestone of the Perth City Link project.
The one-time concert venue, which has been vacant for nearly a decade, is making way for major transport infrastructure works to sink part of the Fremantle railway line and connect the Northbridge entertainment precinct and the Perth CBD.
The inner-city site will be redeveloped as a mixed-use development area combining high-grade offices and residential buildings.
Western Australian Planning Minister John Day said the Perth City Link, which will cost about $360 million, would transform the city and, when completed, was expected to attract more than $3 billion of private investment, provide 1,650 new apartments for more than 3000 residents and accommodate 13,350 workers in 244,000 metre2 of commercial and retail space.
The demolition is expected to be completed by the end of the year, in advance of the Perth Arena opening in 2012.
Owned by Channel Seven, the Entertainment Centre was Western Australia's premier concert venue since opening in 1974.
It hosted the likes of Abba, Queen and Bob Dylan and rated a mention in the Guinness Book of Records in the 1970s for being the largest purpose-built theatre in the world.