The race is on to have the Eagle Farm horse racecourse redevelopment completed in time for the '15 carnival, "with officials conceding it could be a close shave," according to Nathan Exelby of the COURIER-MAIL. A call for tenders "will go out this week for the reconstruction and tunnelling as Racing Queensland prepares to switch to its 'Plan B' race program." Racing Queensland Chair Kevin Dixon said that he was hopeful the A$22M ($20.5M) project "could be completed in time for next year’s carnival, but conceded it is no certainty." Dixon said, "I expect this process will take 10 months." Doomben "will shoulder the bulk of the load while Eagle Farm is out of play, with Ipswich stepping up to be the main midweek venue and then fringe provincial clubs filling the Friday vacancy." The biggest logistical problem for the Brisbane Racing Club "is switching training to Doomben." The traffic management and safety plan "has been approved for the walking of horses from Eagle Farm to Doomben each day." The track announcement means that "the BRC can move on the first stage of its master plan, the building of 400 infield stables at Eagle Farm." The current stables "needed to be vacated" by Dec. '15. That will then allow the building of 1,200 apartments, "which will provide the club with non-racing revenue." Plans are afoot to build a retail center, "with specialty shops near the 1000m chute" (COURIER-MAIL, 6/8).
