Redeveloping the riverside

THREE of Perth's major sporting facilities - Belmont Park, Gloucester Park and the WACA ground - are considering major property developments to fund upgrades and secure the financial viability of their various sports.

Plans for Belmont Park were revived in November after Planning Minister John Day approved the advertising of a metropolitan regional planning scheme amendment to facilitate the redevelopment, the proceeds of which would assist in the upgrade of racing facilities.

The MRS amendment process is expected to be completed by July.

The development will retain upgraded racing facilities, with the surplus land to be redeveloped into medium to high-density housing and possibly commercial use, as well as providing public foreshore access to the site.

The development will have approximately 2,600 dwellings housing around 4,500 people, the majority of which will be within 800 metres of the Belmont Park railway station.

The revised plans have reduced the estimated population of the development to about half the 8,000 in the original plan.

''The new Belmont Park redevelopment plans will see an inner-city medium- to high-density development that will be the envy of other cities worldwide," WA Turf Club chief executive Alasdair Robinson said.

"As part of the development the foreshore will be retained as parks and recreation reserve and ceded to the crown, giving public amenity in terms of public and private open space available to residents. The open space ratio will be in excess of 150 per cent."

Two other major sporting facilities, the WACA and Gloucester Park, have also been slated for redevelopment as part of the Riverside Project, being undertaken by the East Perth Redevelopment Authority.

The Riverside master plan details the development of a high-density urban community, featuring 3,400 dwellings, as well as commercial office and retail space.

The 14.7-hectare Gloucester Park portion of the site, owned by the WA Trotting Association, is the single biggest landholding in the Riverside precinct.

The Riverside master plan envisages that, should Gloucester Park be redeveloped, there is the opportunity to create a vibrant civic meeting place, to be known as Gloucester Circus.

A development application has been submitted for the redevelopment of the north-east corner of the WACA site with an up to 20-storey mixed-use residential and commercial development.