Eagles bank on $60m for new HQ
West Coast Eagles will bank on their new 99-year lease to convince government to fund more than half of an ambitious $60 million plan to build state-of-the-art headquarters at Lathlain Park.
Eagles chief executive Trevor Nisbett and Town of Victoria Park mayor Trevor Vaughan yesterday signed the lease, which paves the way for the AFL club to shift its training base from Patersons Stadium in Subiaco.
The lease has an initial term of 50 years, with an option for a further 49 years. New facilities for Perth Football Club are included.
An indoor training and administration complex and two full-sized ovals would be built at Lathlain Park by the end of 2017, with a synthetic running track around one field.
A museum on the club's first three decades, a community hub, cafe and West Coast supporters' club would also be created.
A new home for the Wirrpanda Foundation, barbecue areas, playgrounds and walk trails were included to help meet guidelines for State and Federal funding.
West Coast will put $22 million and the AFL $4.5 million towards the project but a shortfall of at least $33.5 million remains.
Mr Nisbett said there were no plans to levy members.
"Hopefully we can now convince both the State and Federal governments that this is a great plan," Mr Nisbett said.
"It not only has what we think are community benefits, it has social and economic benefits that far outstrip a lot of the other developments we've seen."
The State Government contributed $10 million to a $106 million recreation facility in Cockburn that will be Fremantle's base.
Premier Colin Barnett said the Government funded community, public facilities in Cockburn, not the Dockers.
"It's a smaller project and the community facilities are more limited," he said. "But in principle, we will support Victoria Park on some of the public facilities.
"We won't be funding the Dockers and we won't be funding the Eagles."
