Post by denpaokala on Jan 25, 2012 7:46:31 GMT 10
"WE WEREN'T holding our breath," said Anthony Belcastro.
The Riverstone Chamber of Commerce president was referring to Football NSW's $70 million complex adjoining the Riverstone industrial estate.
The planned $70 million development, including a 3000-seat stadium, multiple fields, a hotel and allied facilities, is all but dead.
"No concrete has been poured, it's just a concept," said Football NSW chief executive Eddie Moore, appointed as part of a new regime in mid-2011, after a Soccer Australia review of Football NSW.
The Riverstone project was announced in 2008 and was to have been completed this year.
The site's developer has since gone into administration and Football NSW is virtually certain to give the project the boot as its February meeting.
"Absolutely," Mr Moore said when asked if Football NSW still owned its headquarters at Valentine Park, Parklea.
He said a development application had previously been placed before Blacktown Council for the Parklea site to be rezoned residential, ready for sale.
He said the development application had yet to be acted on and was contingent on the Riverstone project going ahead.
Mr Moore said Football NSW had as yet spent little money on Riverstone, apart from architect's plans that could be modified for another site.
"We've kept Blacktown Council aware of how we're travelling [with the review]," he said, adding Football NSW was discussing with the federal and state governments whether $13 million pledged for Riverstone was transferable.
He said there was another factor since the Riverstone announcement.
"The Blacktown Spartans have a great new home," he said of their move to a new ground and premises at Blacktown International Sportspark, and he mentioned other developments in Sydney.
Mr Moore said moving to Riverstone, staying at Parklea or developing another site were all options to be discussed at the February meeting.
Mr Belcastro is disappointed.
"It would have revived Riverstone; Riverstone is a dying town," he said of the soccer project, before hammering his theme: an overhead bridge was the town's means of revival.
"Governments can find $32 million for a railway station but can't build an overhead bridge. They don't want to know about infrastructure."
He said without a bridge and access roads, the soccer complex could never have been a goer anyway.
www.blacktownsun.com.au/news/local/news/general/football-project-looks-dead-and-buried/2429599.aspx
The Riverstone Chamber of Commerce president was referring to Football NSW's $70 million complex adjoining the Riverstone industrial estate.
The planned $70 million development, including a 3000-seat stadium, multiple fields, a hotel and allied facilities, is all but dead.
"No concrete has been poured, it's just a concept," said Football NSW chief executive Eddie Moore, appointed as part of a new regime in mid-2011, after a Soccer Australia review of Football NSW.
The Riverstone project was announced in 2008 and was to have been completed this year.
The site's developer has since gone into administration and Football NSW is virtually certain to give the project the boot as its February meeting.
"Absolutely," Mr Moore said when asked if Football NSW still owned its headquarters at Valentine Park, Parklea.
He said a development application had previously been placed before Blacktown Council for the Parklea site to be rezoned residential, ready for sale.
He said the development application had yet to be acted on and was contingent on the Riverstone project going ahead.
Mr Moore said Football NSW had as yet spent little money on Riverstone, apart from architect's plans that could be modified for another site.
"We've kept Blacktown Council aware of how we're travelling [with the review]," he said, adding Football NSW was discussing with the federal and state governments whether $13 million pledged for Riverstone was transferable.
He said there was another factor since the Riverstone announcement.
"The Blacktown Spartans have a great new home," he said of their move to a new ground and premises at Blacktown International Sportspark, and he mentioned other developments in Sydney.
Mr Moore said moving to Riverstone, staying at Parklea or developing another site were all options to be discussed at the February meeting.
Mr Belcastro is disappointed.
"It would have revived Riverstone; Riverstone is a dying town," he said of the soccer project, before hammering his theme: an overhead bridge was the town's means of revival.
"Governments can find $32 million for a railway station but can't build an overhead bridge. They don't want to know about infrastructure."
He said without a bridge and access roads, the soccer complex could never have been a goer anyway.
www.blacktownsun.com.au/news/local/news/general/football-project-looks-dead-and-buried/2429599.aspx
