A DEADLINE for Mars Stadium's next overhaul has been pencilled in for completion by late 2026.
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The latest updates from Development Victoria outline the head contractor for the project should be approved by October 2024 - with all dates subject to potential changes.
The first of a two-phase tender process for the contractor is underway with documents re-confirming what had been made clear in the advanced notice: 5000 permanent seats will be added in grandstands and the construction of a new athletics track and club house on the existing Ballarat Agricultural and Pastoral Society site.
This comes a fortnight after an advanced tender notice was released for demolition of the stadium's adjoining showgrounds facilities.
Eureka Sporting Precinct, including the stadium, had been pegged to host athletics' track and field program for the now-defunct 2026 Commonwealth Games across regional Victoria.
Victorian Tourism Minister Steve Dimopoulos last week confirmed the Mars Stadium project and development for a Miners Rest community sporting oval would forge ahead from a $2 billion Games legacy purse across the state.
The government has yet to make clear a ballpark figure for how much has been budgeted for Ballarat.
The redevelopment will boost Mars Stadium to 10,000 permanent seats, adding to the ground's modern reconstruction that was completed to host the city's first AFL game for premiership points on August 18, 2017.
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Architects from Cox Architecture, which has bases in major Australian cities, was appointed in March 2023 to partner with Ballarat firm Morton and Co on the project and the latest Development Victoria update shows this is still the case.
A new athletics track was initially touted to be an international standard warm-up track for the Commonwealth Games. Construction plans feature a new athletics club house, set to become home to Ballarat Regional Athletics Centre, and an athletics track with 10-lane straights and nine continuous lanes.
General site upgrades are to also improve accessibility and landscaping to connect Mars Stadium with the new athletics facility.
Demolition works at the showgrounds are scheduled to take place between July and November.
Showgrounds tenants BAPS will host its final event, the Victorian Sheep Show, at the Creswick Road site on June 23.
BAPS will be officially moved out by June 30 to its new home at Mount Rowan.
The Ballarat Show organisers this month announced they had been forced to cancel the 2024 show after being unable to find a suitable venue.
Works at the new showgrounds site will not be ready in time for the popular November fixture.
BAPS had considered keeping the large equestrian centre at Mount Rowan operating during works on the new showgrounds but last month made the decision to close it to private and casual users until October.
