Heidelberg United Football Club, in conjunction with Banyule City Council, is continuing to make inroads on the Olympic Park Master Plan.
The redevelopment plans for Olympic Park are on track according to Banyule City Council. Stages 1 and 2 have been completed, with Stage 3 currently underway. The final piece of the puzzle, Stage 4, is expected to start mid-2022.
Stage 3 will mainly focus on the construction of the carparks surrounding the grounds, with an additional 64 spaces being included on land previously occupied by grass. Banyule City Council has made sure to include Water Sensitive Urban Design in their building of the new carparks. This will minimise the impact of the development on the surrounding environment and waterways.
The Council is following community feedback received during the planning stages of this project and believes the ongoing communication with Heidelberg United president Steve Tsalikidis is key to staying in line with the Olympic Park Vision.
“We are continuing one-on-one feedback with Heidelberg United and Steve for the new pavilion and Stage 4 phase of the plan which will wrap up the project,” Nicole Maslin stated, Banyule City Council Manager for Recreation, Leisure and Cultural Services.
Tsalikidis spoke about the club’s close-working relationship with the council, pivotal to the progress made thus far.
“We’re working closely with the council to finish the project. Unfortunately COVID has put a bit of a damper on the project, so we’ve had slight delays,” he said.
Despite this, he believes everything is moving in the right direction. He also flagged the possibility for disruption while Stages 3 and 4 are in operation.
“They are starting the builds on the three outside pitches in August, which means we might be displaced for a month, as our season only ends in September,” he said.
“It’s going to be disruptive for a while so we will need people to be patient while all the work is being done.”
The $15 million dollar Master Plan project is expected to be completely finished by May 2023. The funding is partly backed by the ‘Bergers, whilst the state and local government allocated $4.5 million and $3 million respectively for Stages 3 and 4, totalling at $7.5 million.
To learn more about the project, and to read the Master Plan document and extended background document, head to https://shaping.banyule.vic.gov.au/olympicpark
Written by Sheridan van Gelderen & Hannah Hammoud from HUFC Media.
