The Moonee Valley racecourse in Melbourne, Australia has unveiled its ‘Vision for the Valley’ – a A$2bn (US$1.5bn)redevelopment plan that will see the construction of a new grandstand, new track layout and residential development for nearly 2,000 dwellings.
Following nearly a decade of planning and consultation, the Valley of Tomorrow will now enter the design and construction phase with the ambitious project centering around the relocation of a grandstand to face the Melbourne city skyline.
Australian architects Cox Architecture, which designed the project, claims “the grandstand embraces the purity of the racing experience by providing more, better and closer trackside engagement than any other track in Australia”.
The track will be extended with a longer home straight – from 173m (568ft) to 317m (1.040ft) – and laid with a new surface, and the infield transformed for sporting and entertainment areas.
Nearby, 22 acres of land will be made available for residential development for approximately 2,000 houses and apartments, which will “deliver a huge range of benefits for the entire community over the next century” said Moonee Valley Racing Club chairman Don Casboult.
Work is scheduled to begin on the grandstand and track in 2020 following the Centenary Cox Plate horse race, while the marketing of the first residential precinct will begin in mid-2018.
“The scale and ambition of this project is unparalleled. The Valley of Tomorrow will respect our great heritage while creating a wonderful new environment for all to enjoy…our vision for The Valley is designed to provide the best facilities of any sporting, lifestyle, residential and community precinct in the nation,” added Casboult.
November 29, 2017
Written by James Billington
