LAVINGTON Sportsground is back in the mix to retain this year’s Ovens and Murray Football-Netball League grand final with a start on the grandstand redevelopment pushed back to October.
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Albury Council staff confirmed on Monday night a $3.8 million grandstand redevelopment including the potential for another 600 seats and function and corporate areas and a $1.35 million amenities building on the secondary sportsfield would be done simultaneously and take about 12 months to complete.
The O and M league is planning to announce the grand final venue in May with the decision brought forward to allow a new host to fully prepare.
The council has successfully applied to the federal government, the major funding provider, for an extension on the completion date to December 2019 for the project which is running over budget due to the discovery of unsuitable soil on the secondary sportsfield site.
It was also revealed the original design for the amenities building had to be altered at the last minute to allow for the sportsfield playing arena to meet size requirements.
Council director James Jenkins said he expected tender documentation for the two projects prepared by July 1 and a contract awarded by the end of October.
“It will leave us a few months before the end of the federal government contract which says we have to be finished by December 2019,” he said.
“Our timeframes are getting shorter in meeting that deadline.”
The council also has a funding application sitting with the NSW Government to increase the size of the grandstand by a further 300 people.
“The function area can also have seating in it up to 150 people,” Mr Jenkins said.
“The current allocation of funds we have provides some treatment to the existing grandstand.
“But with the money we’ve applied through the NSW Government we will be able to do additional works to unify as much as possible the design of the two parts.”