Kennedy Community Centre
 | |
| Coordinates | 37°57′55″S 145°07′34″E / 37.965379783534935°S 145.12608344597305°E |
|---|---|
| Owner | Hawthorn Football Club |
| Operator | Hawthorn Football Club |
| Surface | Grass |
| Construction | |
| Broke ground | 2024 |
| Opened | 2025 |
| Architect | Peddle Thorp Architects[1] |
| Tenants | |
| Hawthorn Football Club Administration & Training (2025–present) | |
The Kennedy Community Centre is the future training facility and headquarters of Australian rules football club the Hawthorn Football Club. It is located in the south-east Melbourne suburb of Dingley Village in the City of Kingston and is set to open in 2025.[2]
Upon completion, the complex will contain Hawthorn's headquarters and community facilities across 28 hectares, including an MCG-sized training oval and elite aquatic and gym facilities for the Hawks men's and women's teams, such as a gymnasium, an indoor training facility and wet and dry recovery facilities. The main oval would host home games for the Hawthorn AFLW team, as well as VFL and community matches, with the main oval serviced by a dedicated match day pavilion with a 500-seat grandstand, team change rooms, umpire change rooms, media facilities, coaches’ boxes and a function space.[3] Upon completion, the facility will be made available for community use at least 20 hours per week.[4]
History
[edit]In 2015, Hawthorn revealed well-advanced plans to move its headquarters from Waverley Park to a large new facility where it has signed a contract of purchase for a 28-hectare (69-acre) site in Dingley where the club intends to build a lavish new headquarters for players, administration and supporters modelled on English Premier League clubs Arsenal F.C. and Tottenham Hotspur F.C..[5][6] This came after a three-year study into the Waverley Park site concluded it was rapidly falling below the AFL benchmark.[7] Hawthorn president Andrew Newbold said "We want an elite training facility and administration facility, to align with our values of being a destination club. That's one bucket. The next is if you've got 80,000 members, how do you engage with them? We think this facility can tick that box."[8] A former landfill site, the land was purchased by the Hawthorn Football Club in 2016 for $7.75 million, with the facility estimate to cost $100 million.[9][10] In May 2016, the Kingston City Council approved a Notice of Decision for a planning permit and a planning scheme amendment for the Kennedy Community Centre's site, which allows for the subdivision of land and creation of a 27.9 hectare lot to be developed and used by the Hawks.[11]
Hawthorn received approval to commence construction on the facility in November 2022, with the club signing a construction contract with ADCO Constructions the same month.[12] The first sod was turned in February 2024, with Hawthorn President Andy Gowers, CEO Ash Klein, Senior Coach Sam Mitchell, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, along with state and local representatives present on the occasion.[13][14] The construction of the Kennedy Community Centre will be undertaken in stages, with Stage 1 to consist of the construction of a community pavilion and AFLW oval featuring full broadcast capabilities and grandstand seating, and the Harris Elite Training and Administration Facility, comprising an indoor training field, high-performance gym and aquatic facilities and an MCG-sized oval. When completed, Hawthorn will be the only team to own its own facility and the land on which it is situated, with the club set to move into the facility in the second half of 2025.[15][16]
The construction of the Kennedy Community Centre is funded through a combination of $73 million from the Hawthorn Football Club, $15 million from the Australian federal government, $15 million from the Victorian state government, $5 million from the Kingston City Council and $5 million from the Australian Football League.[17]
Facilities
[edit]The Kennedy Community Centre will feature the following facilities:[18][19][20]
- A community pavilion and oval built to ensure gender equal facilities and public amenities, specifically for community use and engagement
- An indoor stadium for community basketball, netball, volleyball, and wheelchair AFL
- A main oval and the Harris Elite Training and Administration Facility which will cater for all Hawthorn teams equally
- Administrative spaces for community and not-for-profit organisations to share the club's resources
- Flexible education and learning spaces enabling delivery of community programs
Naming
[edit]The site is named after former Hawthorn player and head coach John Kennedy Sr.[21][22] The statute of John Kennedy at Waverley Park will be moved to the entry of the Kennedy Community Centre once the facility is complete.[23]
See also
[edit]References
[edit]- ^ Chanthadavong, Aimee. "Work begins on Hawthorn Football Club's new home". Club Management. Retrieved 9 November 2024.
- ^ "New Hawthorn Footy Facility On Track For Next Year". Victoria State Government. Retrieved 9 November 2024.
- ^ "Construction begins on Hawthorn Football Club's new home base". Architecture, Au. Retrieved 9 November 2024.
- ^ Cowburn, Brodie. "Cash for AFL base 'great value' – mayor". The News Bayside. Retrieved 9 November 2024.
- ^ Niall, Jake. "Hawks reveal plan to leave nest for huge Dingley headquarters". The Age. Retrieved 9 November 2024.
- ^ "Hawthorn's new training base to cost $130 million". 8 March 2019. Retrieved 7 April 2022.
- ^ "Hawks eye new AFL nest at Dingley". SBS News. Special Broadcasting Service. Retrieved 9 November 2024.
- ^ "Hawks reveal plan to leave nest for huge Dingley headquarters". 2 June 2015.
- ^ Niall, Jake. "Hawthorn's $10 million Dingley boost". The Age. Retrieved 10 November 2024.
- ^ "Work begins on Hawthorn's new $100 million home". Australian Football League. Retrieved 9 November 2024.
- ^ "Kingston green light to Hawks Dingley Village HQ". The News Bayside. Retrieved 9 November 2024.
- ^ Gabelich, Josh. "'Gamechanger': Hawks to begin construction of $100m facility". Australian Football League. Retrieved 9 November 2024.
- ^ "Historic milestone: First sod turned at KCC". Hawthorn Football Club. Retrieved 9 November 2024.
- ^ "Development begins on Hawthorn's new multimillion-dollar facility". news.com.au. News Corp. Retrieved 9 November 2024.
- ^ "Development begins on Hawthorn's new multimillion-dollar facility". News.com.au. News Corp. Retrieved 13 February 2024.
- ^ "First sod turned at the future home of the Hawks". Austadiums. Retrieved 13 February 2024.
- ^ "Kennedy Community Centre set to soar". Prime Minister of Australia. Retrieved 9 November 2024.
- ^ "Kennedy Community Centre". ADCO. Retrieved 9 November 2024.
- ^ "Federal Government on board to bring Kennedy Community Centre to life". Hawthorn Football Club. Retrieved 9 November 2024.
- ^ "Kennedy Community Centre". Austadiums. Retrieved 9 November 2024.
- ^ Ryan, Peter. "Hawks to honour club legend Kennedy at new base". The Age. Retrieved 10 November 2024.
- ^ "New Dingley Home for Hawks". Peddle Thorp Architects. Retrieved 9 November 2024.
- ^ Barnes, Josh. "Hawthorn's Dingley project pushes past construction hold-ups, on target potential 2025 opening". Herald Sun. News Corp. Retrieved 9 November 2024.