Pure Projects provided project management services for the design and construction of the new $27m high performance training and administrative facility for Essendon Football Club. The key focus for the project was to create an elite sporting and administrative facility that will promote a level of excellence for the club and the community. 

 

Essendon’s long-time training and administration facilities were located at Windy Hill. They had become dated in comparison to other teams in the AFL and were also being shared with other groups including the Essendon Cricket Club and the local bowling club. There was little scope for the redevelopment of Windy Hill given its physical and land-use constraints. The need had arisen to establish a new sporting and community facility for the ‘Bombers’.

 

Essendon partnered with the Australian Paralympic Committee (APC) and identified land within the Melbourne Airport as a site for a Sporting and Community Facility. The key stakeholders who provided funding for the facility were the Federal Government, AFL, Victorian State Government, Melbourne Airport and the Essendon Football Club. 

 

The development comprised two large ovals (one the size of the Melbourne Cricket Ground, the other the size of Etihad Stadium), a running/walking track and a training and administrative building measuring approximately 10,000 square metres built over four levels.

 

It was a triumph of lateral thinking and problem solving. While competitors quoted significantly higher for the project, Pure brought it in on budget through clever design alterations, a refinement of building services and splitting up the work packages so they could be tendered to package-specific contractors. Oh, and we think a can-do approach was a big part of it as well. We’re very proud of the result.

Essendon Football Club Training and Administration Facility, VIC, Australia