Australian A-League football club the Central Coast Mariners has revealed details of plans to turn its home stadium into a “world-class entertainment hub”.
The club has submitted the plans to the Central Coast Council, which owns and operates Central Coast Stadium.
Mariners owner Mike Charlesworth instructed the club to present a management-rights proposal to the council amid concerns over the stadium’s current business model, which he feels does not facilitate best practice and is stunting the facility’s growth.
The Mariners’ five-stage stadium concept includes a nearby hotel, a retail and café precinct, an upgrading of the ground’s corporate facilities and a state-of-the-art sound system. Also included in the plans are dual big screens, a weather and sun protection system over the northern grandstand, yellow seats, additional changing rooms and Wi-Fi compatibility.
The stadium plans tie in with the wide-ranging #GrowthForGosford campaign, which encourages community leaders, politicians and developers to present a vision for a better Gosford. The Mariners’ next home game against Perth Glory on January 28 will be used to gather fans’ views on potential development projects in the city.
“As the Central Coast Mariners continue to grow, Central Coast Stadium must grow with us,” Mariners chief executive Shaun Mielekamp said. “A necessity for our region is the improvement of Central Coast Stadium that is the only flag bearer for major infrastructure development in Gosford’s CBD over the past 17 years.
“Whilst there are certainly some hurdles ahead, we are confident there are also solutions. We cannot do this alone and need the stadium and infrastructure to grow if we have any chance of fulfilling our potential. New revenue opportunities presented by the stadium will empower us to invest long-term towards our football resources. Our football will reap the rewards of the club’s growth and it is important to understand that this is a long-term play for us to compete with the big four clubs who are growing bigger and faster every day.”
Central Coast Stadium, which has a capacity of 20,000, opened in 2000 and has remained relatively untouched since.
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