The Perth Wildcats could be forced to play their first seven games of next season on the road after the state government confirmed Perth Arena would not be ready before November 10, more than a month after the start of the National Basketball League campaign.
Premier Colin Barnett inspected the project this afternoon to announce the opening date, saying there was “no doubt” it was going to be a “magnificent facility”.
“Practical completion will occur in August as previously announced, with a three-month commissioning period including all system testing, furnishing, training and a series of test events to follow,” Mr Barnett said.
The scheduled opening date is nearly four years after it was originally planned and the venue's construction cost has blown out to just under $550 million, after it was originally mooted to cost just $160 million to build.
Wildcats chief executive Nick Marvin said the club looked forward to playing in the venue, but said the delays had created significant issues for the team, which is looking to move from the 4,500-seat capacity Challenge Stadium for NBL season 2012-13.
The NBL season is scheduled to kick off in the first week of October.
Mr Marvin told WA Business News the November 10 start date for Perth Arena may see the Wildcats start the season on an extended road trip, because it was not viable to begin the season at Challenge, then move to the central city venue following the opening.
He said the Wildcats would work with Eventscorp, venue operator AEG Ogden and the state government over the next seven days to come to a suitable agreement over 14 playing dates for the Wildcats.
“We can fit in 14 home games mathematically, the question is can they do it for us,” Mr Marvin told WA Business News.
“What we know is that Challenge Stadium is not sustainable as a venue for us, so we have to move and we can’t really split the season.
“We currently have 3,500 members, but we’re aiming to get 10,000. So which of those 10,000 members would you bump out of Challenge?”
Despite the delays, Mr Marvin said the club was excited to be moving to the new arena.
“Long-term, it’s going to be great, it means the club has a sustainable future,” he said.
The multi-purpose venue will seat 15,000 for events, 14,846 for basketball and 13,910 for tennis, have a retractable roof and state-of-the art entertainment technology, and will also become the home for the Hopman Cup.
