Hakoah’s revised White City plan slashes costs
The anticipated phase one cost to redevelop Hakoah Club’s White City site into a major sport, community and function centre will fall from $60 million to just $35 million under a revised plan to be lodged at council within months.
THE anticipated phase one cost to redevelop Hakoah Club’s White City site into a major sport, community and function centre will fall from $60 million to just $35 million under a revised plan to be lodged at council within months.
Hakoah Club president George Farkas told members at last week’s annual general meeting “we have finalised a revised scheme that retains the best elements of the already approved concept development application, and reduces the cost significantly”.
“It’s a better and more efficient plan . . . and it has involved a somewhat lengthy but absolutely necessary process in keeping with our stated goal of communal and fiscal responsibility.
“I want to thank the members for their patience. We still have a way to go, but I’m glad to say we are now at the pointy end.”
Key changes to the plan include scrapping the indoor aquatic centre and building instead an outdoor 25m lap pool and a children’s pool, making 136 onsite parking spaces under cover instead of all 250, constructing three additional tennis courts, and providing more open space.
Phase one will retain a full-size multi-sport synthetic field with grandstand, which can be reconfigured for junior sport, concerts, and events like markets and moonlight cinema.
It will also feature a ground floor indoor/outdoor cafe overlooking the pools in what will be a three-storey building that will house, a bar, an 80-seat bistro restaurant and an adjoining multi-purpose function space, which combined, can accommodate 313 diners and more than 500 people for cocktail functions.
Maccabi Tennis will build a clubhouse floor which will have an eight-metre high ceiling so an extra floor can be added later.
The plan includes a 1,500 square metre gym , with an indoor climbing wall, community and physiotherapy facilities and a crèche should more funds become available, and an indoor sports court in phase two.
A vehicle access ramp to Glenmore Road is proposed to ease traffic flow.
Farkas said there will be a multi-tiered membership model “with the aim that nobody will be disadvantaged”.
“Ultimately it is the level of membership and community support that will determine the success of the project – a true community hub and a once-in-a-generation opportunity.”
“A very comprehensive Memorandum of Understanding by Hakoah and Maccabi Tennis Clubs has been signed, and Maccabi Tennis members endorsed our revised plan at their annual general meeting – a very significant step forward.”
SHANE DESIATNIK
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