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Victoria University Whitten Oval Precinct Development
The Western Bulldogs Football Club welcomes the Andrews’ Government’s intent to assign the land at the southern (Geelong Road) end of the VU Whitten Oval, the existing Cross Street and adjoining land, to the Club for VU Whitten Oval football and for community development purposes.
We express our gratitude to Dan Andrews and his team for their co-operation and work with us over many months on this important work for the Club and Melbourne’s west.
We also acknowledge a $5,000,000 grant the Victorian Government has recently made to the Club to improve our football facilities with an emphasis on women’s change rooms, toilets, a scoreboard and TV quality lighting for our future AFLW home games.
The Club has been working on a master plan for the redevelopment of the precinct for some time and has engaged with a number of consultants for this purpose.
The re-alignment of Cross Street and the assignment of freehold title over the southern end of the Whitten Oval and the existing Cross Street land south of the oval as far as West Footscray station are the foundation of this master plan, and the Club will continue to work closely with Maribyrnong City Council on the re-alignment of Cross Street.
The Club plans to develop the southern end of VUWO both with match-day viewing, seating, and hospitality offerings but to also develop the expanded site with complementary uses which may include car parking, commercial, residential, entertainment and retail opportunities. We will achieve this historic re-design of our home ground in consultation with our members, the local community and the City of Maribyrnong.
Our plan is that the non match-day uses on the site (commercial and residential) capture financial value which will form the major part of a capital raising project, which will transform the oval into a unique community hub, the centerpiece of which will be the opportunity for families and people of the west to watch the men's and women's teams of the Western Bulldogs play football at a state-of-the-art 21st century community facility.
In consultation with the State Government, we have developed other elements to our long-term plans as the AFL team of Melbourne’s west. These discussions have included an extension of the crown lease held by the Bulldogs over the balance of the Whitten Oval, and plans to further develop Mars Stadium and extend the length of the Club’s home game commitments in Ballarat.
The Club also plans that the sale of our remaining licensed premises, joint ventures with prospective long-term tenants and other fundraising initiatives will help fund our long-term development plans. The arrangement recognizes that only the Western Bulldogs can optimize the real potential of this unique site.
It will be a vibrant and entertaining football venue on weekends and a busy and attractive place to live, work, dine and play sport during the week. It will also house the Club’s growing community services arm.
While its principal football use will be for women’s and VFL games, we do anticipate that its expanded capacity and quality will make the occasional fixturing of a heritage game in the men’s AFL premiership season an option. By the end of the 2018 season, we hope to be in a position to provide our members with visual and explanatory graphics of the principal re-design options for the precinct.
Obviously the acquisition of freehold title over such a large tract of premium land has a transformative effect on the Club’s future. Our commitment is to use this unprecedented opportunity to future-proof the Club and to provide a modern and exciting home ground venue which still honours our Western Oval and West Footscray heritage, while simultaneously providing a state-of-the-art destination for the people of the west.
https://pbs.twimg.com/media/DanefpPUQAA826b.jpg
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Re: Victoria University Whitten Oval Precinct Development
Did that say a five million dollar grant?
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Re: Victoria University Whitten Oval Precinct Development
Quote:
Originally Posted by
Twodogs
Did that say a five million dollar grant?
It's a start, we need more than that. The club has some ambitious plans.
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Re: Victoria University Whitten Oval Precinct Development
Quote:
Originally Posted by
bornadog
It's a start, we need more than that. The club has some ambitious plans.
Ambitiuous yes, bold even, given the grand scope. Vital to ensure we've got the right blend of people with the connections, experience and skillsets to pull this off.
It is an enticing risk.
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Re: Victoria University Whitten Oval Precinct Development
Five million sounds like a lot at first. But that will buy you four small terrace houses in Yarraville these days....
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Re: Victoria University Whitten Oval Precinct Development
Basically that boils down to the state govt giving the club the vacant land over the road on Cross st, as I read it.
Or am I wrong?
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Re: Victoria University Whitten Oval Precinct Development
Quote:
Originally Posted by
Webby
Basically that boils down to the state govt giving the club the vacant land over the road on Cross st, as I read it.
Or am I wrong?
Plus, Scoreboard, change room facilities for AFLW, upgrade in lighting to TV std and tpilets.
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Re: Victoria University Whitten Oval Precinct Development
Quote:
Originally Posted by
Webby
Basically that boils down to the state govt giving the club the vacant land over the road on Cross st, as I read it.
Or am I wrong?
Can you expand on this please Webby? Do you mean the land underneath the railway bridge? What do we plan on doing with it?
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Re: Victoria University Whitten Oval Precinct Development
I'm fairly sure that the parcel of land (or at least a portion of what we are being given by the State) was previously considered VicTrack land. And incidentally, Cam Rose (our former CEO) is the CEO of Victrack these days.
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Re: Victoria University Whitten Oval Precinct Development
Quote:
Originally Posted by
Ghost Dog
Five million sounds like a lot at first. But that will buy you four small terrace houses in Yarraville these days....
Yeah I think the median house price now in Yarraville is $1 million.
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Re: Victoria University Whitten Oval Precinct Development
And having bought in Yarraville 30 years ago makes a happy camper!
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Re: Victoria University Whitten Oval Precinct Development
Part of me hopes the “realignment” of Cross Street doesn’t mean that they’re blocking it off. Thousands of cars pass through there, under Mt Mistake to get to work every morning. Me included.
Would just mean more traffic congestion in the morning... On the flip side, it’d be good for the club if they could take all of that area and utilise it..
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Re: Victoria University Whitten Oval Precinct Development
I believe this is what it's referring to from Google Maps:
https://www.google.com.au/maps/@-37....7i13312!8i6656
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Re: Victoria University Whitten Oval Precinct Development
Quote:
Originally Posted by
Webby
Part of me hopes the “realignment” of Cross Street doesn’t mean that they’re blocking it off. Thousands of cars pass through there, under Mt Mistake to get to work every morning. Me included.
Would just mean more traffic congestion in the morning... On the flip side, it’d be good for the club if they could take all of that area and utilise it..
Nah they won't, they have just put all the speed humps into Cross st and Rupert st and Buckingham st and all the back routes through into Footscray and the city. If they were going to close it off to traffic they wouldn't have payed a contractor to come and do the work surely?
Although it is the City of Maribyrnong we are talking about. Now you've got me worried...
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Re: Victoria University Whitten Oval Precinct Development
Quote:
Originally Posted by
Eastdog
Yep, that's the electrical relay in Cross st. It's roughly across the road from where the scoreboard stood. More or less adjacent but behind where it was.
It's where the paint and glue sniffers tend to pass out.
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Re: Victoria University Whitten Oval Precinct Development
Quote:
Originally Posted by
Eastdog
I hope not ! That's where I park every game and no one else seems to cotton on so I get to games as late as I want and still have a place to park. That little green patch is a beauty of a spot.
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Re: Victoria University Whitten Oval Precinct Development
Quote:
Originally Posted by
ledge
I hope not ! That's where I park every game and no one else seems to cotton on so I get to games as late as I want and still have a place to park. That little green patch is a beauty of a spot.
Taken the train out to Whitten Oval several times when I have been but more parking though would be welcome for future WO trips via the car.
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Re: Victoria University Whitten Oval Precinct Development
Quote:
Originally Posted by
Eastdog
Taken the train out to Whitten Oval several times when I have been but more parking though would be welcome for future WO trips via the car.
If I were you Easty I would leave the car at home when you visit the west. There are quite a few lunatics driving the streets around here.
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Re: Victoria University Whitten Oval Precinct Development
Quote:
Originally Posted by
Twodogs
If I were you Easty I would leave the car at home when you visit the west. There are quite a few lunatics driving the streets around here.
The train is a good ride in and very close to the ground which is a big plus. Parking still could be an issue even with the expansion.
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Re: Victoria University Whitten Oval Precinct Development
Quote:
Originally Posted by
Eastdog
The train is a good ride in and very close to the ground which is a big plus. Parking still could be an issue even with the expansion.
The last time they had a big crowd at Whitten oval (God bless those girls, I never thought I would see the ground packed out ever again) cars were parking outside my house!
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Re: Victoria University Whitten Oval Precinct Development
Quote:
Originally Posted by
Twodogs
The last time they had a big crowd at Whitten oval (God bless those girls, I never thought I would see the ground packed out ever again) cars were parking outside my house!
Are you slightly west from Whitten Oval or closer to Ashley street Twodogs? I'd guess closer to Whitten Oval :)
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Re: Victoria University Whitten Oval Precinct Development
Quote:
Originally Posted by
Eastdog
Are you slightly west from Whitten Oval or closer to Ashley street Twodogs? I'd guess closer to Whitten Oval :)
We were living in Clive st and that was 1.1 kms from the ground. It's very near Sims supermarket, right behind Barkly st shopping strip but we moved and now I live in Rupert st pretty much across the road from Tottenham station car park, I haven't checked the odometer to see how far the new place is from the footy ground but it's another km or so. I'm about 4-5 blocks back from Ashley st heading towards Footscray. It's a nice walk into Footscray or the Footy ground from here.
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Re: Victoria University Whitten Oval Precinct Development
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Re: Victoria University Whitten Oval Precinct Development
Quote:
Originally Posted by
Remi Moses
Is Sims still there ?
Yep. Just been sold bit still operating as a supermarket.
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Re: Victoria University Whitten Oval Precinct Development
God I miss those 50 cent cola drinks . Those were the days
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Re: Victoria University Whitten Oval Precinct Development
Quote:
Originally Posted by
Remi Moses
Is Sims still there ?
It is. It was sold last year and I believe was being refitted.
The previous owners/family went through an extremely tough time on a number of fronts. The business was handed over to administrators and sold.
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Re: Victoria University Whitten Oval Precinct Development
Quote:
Originally Posted by
Ozza
It is. It was sold last year and I believe was being refitted.
The previous owners/family went through an extremely tough time on a number of fronts. The business was handed over to administrators and sold.
Sims Supermarket history. First to use barcodes in Australia from 1979.
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sims_Supermarket
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Re: Victoria University Whitten Oval Precinct Development
Quote:
Originally Posted by
Eastdog
I didn't know that about the barcodes. There you go. West Footscray leading the world again.
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Re: Victoria University Whitten Oval Precinct Development
Quote:
Originally Posted by
Twodogs
I didn't know that about the barcodes. There you go. West Footscray leading the world again.
https://www.fullyloaded.com.au/logis...rtant-birthday
Lots of great history in the west for sure. First use of barcodes in our country originated in the west and to fly out of Melbourne from the airport you start in the west and come back to the west - north west really :)
Sims IGA in Blackburn North I've gone past occasionally but haven't been in there.
Williamstown has a huge maritime history as does Port Melbourne.
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Re: Victoria University Whitten Oval Precinct Development
Back to the topic of the thread the prospect of future AFL Bulldog home games at Whitten Oval will be great. Even one home game there per year I would love.
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Re: Victoria University Whitten Oval Precinct Development
Quote:
Originally Posted by
Eastdog
Back to the topic of the thread the prospect of future AFL Bulldog home games at Whitten Oval will be great. Even one home game there per year I would love.
It all sounds romantic, but I prefer to keep it home of our VFL and AFLW teams. I would prefer to have a home game at the G.
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Re: Victoria University Whitten Oval Precinct Development
Quote:
Originally Posted by
bornadog
It all sounds romantic, but I prefer to keep it home of our VFL and AFLW teams. I would prefer to have a home game at the G.
Yeah a home game at the G would be good as well. Etihad is our home ground now but we really should play a bit more at the G than we do. Maybe when we get 50K members that might change.
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Re: Victoria University Whitten Oval Precinct Development
Quote:
Originally Posted by
Eastdog
Yeah a home game at the G would be good as well. Etihad is our home ground now but we really should play a bit more at the G than we do. Maybe when we get 50K members that might change.
Richmond have 90,000 fans and yesterday they had less at the G than we did at Etihad.
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Re: Victoria University Whitten Oval Precinct Development
Quote:
Originally Posted by
bornadog
Richmond have 90,000 fans and yesterday they had less at the G than we did at Etihad.
So right. Yeah no reason why we can't play a few more games there than say 4 or 5 per year with 1 being a home game.
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Re: Victoria University Whitten Oval Precinct Development
Quote:
Originally Posted by
Eastdog
So right. Yeah no reason why we can't play a few more games there than say 4 or 5 per year with 1 being a home game.
Because the G will be home to the GF till 2057, interstate teams are going to get more games there. I doubt we would get 4 or 5, but at least 3 would be good.
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Re: Victoria University Whitten Oval Precinct Development
Quote:
Originally Posted by
bornadog
Because the G will be home to the GF till 2057, interstate teams are going to get more games there. I doubt we would get 4 or 5, but at least 3 would be good.
It was the ground where we played 2 magical games in September/October 2016 :)
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Re: Victoria University Whitten Oval Precinct Development
Quote:
Originally Posted by
Eastdog
It was the ground where we played 2 magical games in September/October 2016 :)
It’s a ground where we have won 8 of our last 10 I think.
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Re: Victoria University Whitten Oval Precinct Development
Quote:
Originally Posted by
Ozza
It’s a ground where we have won 8 of our last 10 I think.
Good record overall in recent years.
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Re: Victoria University Whitten Oval Precinct Development
The club will be announcing new plans to develop the ground with seating for 15,000. Aim is for the Women's team, VFL team and on the odd occassion an AFL match.
The ground will also be further developed for even better training facilities.
New change rooms for the women and an electronic scoreboard will begin in the next few weeks.
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Re: Victoria University Whitten Oval Precinct Development
Quote:
Originally Posted by
bornadog
The club will be announcing new plans to develop the ground with seating for 15,000. Aim is for the Women's team, VFL team and on the odd occassion an AFL match.
The ground will also be further developed for even better training facilities.
New change rooms for the women and an electronic scoreboard will begin in the next few weeks.
Would love to see an actual AFL match at the Whitten Oval. If I've been there in the past I was too young to really remember.