A A$250M ($234M) plan "is being proposed to transform the out-of-date Allianz Stadium into a hi-tech, fully-roofed entertainment facility to help Sydney’s sports teams shore up their financial futures," according to John Lehmann of the Sydney DAILY TELEGRAPH. A new master plan for the 44,000-seat venue at Moore Park "includes upgraded seating, quality food outlets and super-fast Wi-Fi to dramatically improve fans’ match-day experience." Expanded entry gates, digital video signage and live fan sites "will use special lighting systems to enable the stadium to adopt the colours of the 'home' teams for different matches." The master plan, by the Sydney Cricket and Sports Ground Trust, includes a permanent see-through roof, "which would turn Allianz into Australia’s premier all-weather rectangular stadium." It "would also help Sydney attract more tourists and generate economic activity by staging global sporting events" like this year's MLB season opener. Sport Minister Stuart Ayres, who will consider the Allianz upgrade while finalizing the government’s stadium investment strategy, said he wants to "roll out the red carpet" to more top American sporting franchises, including hockey and basketball teams. National Rugby League CEO Dave Smith "is a strong supporter of the plan" and wrote to former Premier Barry O’Farrell last month lobbying for A$18M to be allocated in next month’s state budget. About A$13M "would be spent installing" Wi-Fi and Internet TV by next March. Smith said, "From a financial perspective, quality seating, quality facilities, quality corporate areas all contribute to a better financial position for the game and for our clubs." Allianz is home to the New South Wales Waratahs, Sydney Roosters and Sydney FC, "and hosts rugby league and rugby union Test matches and Socceroos internationals." Also, a new indoor cricket center is part of a A$90M plan "to establish a high-performance sports centre at the SCG." The project, known as Sports Central, "would include a terraced building featuring fitness facilities, a rooftop swimming pool and a childcare centre." The SCG Trust is close to finalizing a deal with a well-known Sydney university "to establish a sports medicine and hospitality campus within this building" (DAILY TELEGRAPH, 5/19).
