Stadium Precinct

Overview

Stadium Precinct was one the first areas developed in Docklands, with the opening of the Docklands Stadium (initially branded Colonial Stadium, and since 2018 it is now known as Marvel Stadium) in March 2000.

The precinct is home to the Seven Network and National Australia Bank.

The Stadium Precinct also encompasses Harbour Esplanade.

Key features of Stadium Precinct include:

Marvel Stadium - 52,000 seat capacity (in Aussie Rules configuration) and a retractable roof for all-weather sports and entertainment
Home to the Australian Football League’s (AFL) national headquarters located on Harbour Esplanade, to the west of the Stadium
Seven Network’s digital Broadcast Centre (north-west Stadium)
The Village@NAB – National Australia’s Bank second building in Docklands (south-east Stadium Precinct)
A Mantra Peppers hotel (north-east Stadium Precinct)
Lacrosse, a 22-level, 270 apartment residential tower at 675 La Trobe Street (north-east Stadium Precinct)
Victoria Point mixed-use development including residential tower, commercial tower (with Bendigo Bank as the major commercial tenant), hotel and associated retail (south-west Stadium Precinct)

Stadium Precinct redevelopment

It was announced in 2018 that the Victorian State Government would provide $225 million towards significant upgrades of the Stadium, to ensure its future as a world-class sporting and entertainment venue.

The refurbishment project is being led by the AFL, and Development Victoria, along with Sport and Recreation Victoria are members of the Project Control Group established to ensure that State Government's objectives are met.

As part of the overall agreement, Development Victoria and the AFL are also investigating the potential to create greater access across Harbour Esplanade to the waterfront by redeveloping AFL House and the current Seven Network building.

Location

Stadium Precinct acts as the fulcrum of the broader Docklands Precinct, bound by the rail yards and Spencer Street to the east, the waterfront of Harbor Esplanade and Victoria Harbour to the west, La Trobe Street to the North and Bourke Street to the south.

Docklands Stadium

Docklands Stadium — also known by the current naming rights, Marvel Stadium — opened in 2000. It has seating for 53,000 and features a retractable roof to ensure Melbourne’s famously changeable weather doesn’t interrupt events. It's also home to AFL House, on Harbour Esplanade. In 2018, with over two million fans (including the stadium’s 40-millionth visitor) passing through the turnstiles, the Stadium celebrated its 18th birthday.

Stage: Complete, Project duration: 1997- 2000, Architect: BVN (Bligh Lobb Sports Architecture) and Daryl Jackson Architects, Developer: Docklands Stadium Consortium (Baulderstone Hornibrook, KPMG, Merrill Lynch, Westpac, Channel Seven, News Limited/HWT).

The Village @ NAB – 700 Bourke Street

Located at the corner Bourke Street and Wurundjeri Way in the south-east Stadium Precinct, the development is a 16-storey, premium-grade sustainable commercial building, 100% leased to the National Australia Bank (NAB).

Stage: Complete, Project duration: 2001- 2013, Architect: Woods Bagot, Developer: Cbus Property.

720 Bourke Street

Located in the South-East Stadium Precinct, 720 Bourke Street includes a mix of office tenancy space. Anchor tenant Medibank’s Docklands HQ is part of a cultural change program for the company to create better health outcomes for its employees. Features include multi-purpose sports courts, edible gardens and demonstration kitchen to promote health eating, and a spiraling bike ramp for easy bike storage and end of trip facilities. The development has achieved 5-star NABERS Energy rating and 6-star Green Star Office As-Built v3 rating.

Stage: Complete, Project duration: 2012- 2014, Architect: Hassell, Developer: Cbus Property.

Seven Network

The Seven Network began digital broadcasting at the $50 million state-of-the-art Digital Broadcast Centre, in the north-west Stadium Precinct (Stage 1) at 160 Harbour Esplanade in May 2001. The north-west Stadium Precinct contains two commercial towers – 685 La Trobe Street and 699 La Trobe Street.

Stage: Complete, Project duration: 1999- 2001, Developer: Seven Custodians.

677 La Trobe Street

MDocklands, a 19-level mixed-use building, at 677 La Trobe Street in the north-east Stadium Precinct, features a 5-star Mantra 'Peppers' hotel on Levels 2 to 5, along with 186 private apartments over the remaining floors, 11 ground-floor retail apartments and 168 car parking spaces. It also features RONE artwork 'Edge of Your Seat'.

Stage: Complete, Project duration: 2014- 2016, Type: Residential, Architect: Elenberg Fraser, Developer: Capital Alliance and Lacrosse Stage 2 Pty Ltd.

685 La Trobe Street

This site is privately owned by Perpetual Corporate Trust Limited. The land is the subject of a Development Agreement which provides for, and sets down, the terms and conditions under which the site can be developed. The planning permit application for the development of this site for two residential towers was approved on 13 October 2021. The type of development is Build to Rent, to be known as ‘Home Docklands’.

Stage: Construction, Project duration: 2019- 2024, Architect: Cox Architecture, Developer: Perpetual Corporate Trust Limited as custodian for GFM Investment Group Pty Ltd.

699 La Trobe Street

This site is privately owned by Salta Properties (Docklands) Pty Ltd. The land is the subject of a Development Agreement which provides for, and sets down, the terms and conditions under which the site can be developed. On 27 April 2016, an application was lodged to amend the conditional planning permit to enable the site to be developed for a hotel and residential apartment building. An amendment to the planning permit is with the Responsible Authority for consideration and is still waiting for approval. *Note: dates are subject to change.

Stage: Planning, Project duration: 2016- 2026, Architect: TBC, Developer: Salta Properties.

Timeline

1996–1999

1996

The Premier of Victoria endorses a new world class, high technology multi-sports and entertainment stadium for Docklands as a replacement for Waverly Park and new AFL headquarters
Expressions of interested invited for its construction

1997

Docklands Stadium Consortium (Baulderstone Hornibrook, KPMG, Merrill Lynch, Westpac, Channel Seven, News Limited/HWT) announced as winning bidder and construction commences

1999

Melbourne Docklands’ Urban Art program is underway with the announcement of public art commissions for the Stadium with 'Vox Lumiere and Threaded Field'

2000–2005

2000

Colonial State Bank purchase the naming rights for 10 years
Colonial Stadium opens on 9 March and hosts 56 events and over 1.7 million people in its first year
La Trobe Street bridge and Bourke Street pedestrian bridge open in-line with the Stadium opening
The Australian Football League’s (AFL) new headquarters at the Stadium are completed and occupied by the AFL and Docklands Authority

2001

Seven Network’s new state of the art Digital Broadcast Centre on the north-west corner of the Stadium Precinct is completed and digital broadcasting begins

2002

Colonial Stadium renamed as Telstra Dome after the naming rights were sold to Telstra for approximately $50 million

2003

Network Seven assign rights for Stage 2 (699 La Trobe Street) of the north-west Stadium Precinct to Pacific Harbour Developments Pty Ltd
Development to be known as 360 Degrees

2005

Devine’s Victoria Point mixed-use development including residential tower, commercial tower (Bendigo Bank major commercial tenant) hotel and associated retail, on south-west corner of the Stadium Precinct is completed

2006–2010

2006

Acquisition of Telstra Dome by James Fielding Infrastructure from Docklands Stadium Consortium (Baulderstone Hornibrook, KPMG Corporate Finance (Vic), International Sports Facilities Management and Clifton Project Management & Associates)

2008

VicUrban enter into a Precinct Development Agreement with 675 LaTrobe Street Pty Ltd to develop Lacrosse Docklands, a $300 million mixed-use development on the north-east Stadium Precinct
Bourke Junction consortium (ISPT, Cbus Property and EPC Partners) awarded the contract to develop the south-east Stadium Precinct, with a $700 million mixed-use project to be known as Bourke Junction
Pacific Harbour Developments Pty Ltd assign development rights for Stage 2 of the North-West Stadium Precinct (known as 360 Degrees at 699 La Trobe Street) to Salta Properties Docklands P/L

2009

On 1 March 2009, the naming rights of Telstra Dome are transferred to Etihad Airways and the venue officially becomes known as Etihad Stadium

2010

North-east Stadium Precinct is split into two stages: Stage 1 – 675 La Trobe Street (Lacrosse) and Stage 2 now known as 677 La Trobe Street
Charter Hall Group and PanUrban acquire the rights to develop Stage 1 of Lacrosse Docklands, a residential tower at 675 La Trobe Street in the north-east Stadium Precinct
Medibank announces its new head office at 720 Bourke Street (adjacent to the Stadium) and construction commences
Lacrosse Stage 1, a 22-level, 270 apartment residential development in the north-east Stadium Precinct is completed
Flagship (La Trobe) Pty Ltd acquires the development rights for Stage 3 at 685 La Trobe Street of the north-west Stadium Precinct

2011–2015

2011

The Village at NAB, National Australia Bank’s second office complex in Docklands, commences construction at 700 Bourke Street (south-east Stadium Precinct)

2013

Capital Alliance Docklands Pty Ltd and Lacrosse Stage 2 Pty Ltd Development acquire the development rights for Stage 2 at 677 La Trobe Street of the north-east Stadium Precinct for a 19-level building mixed use development, to be known as ‘MDocklands’

2015

Australia Xing Six Holding Pty Ltd (AXS) acquire the development rights for 685 La Trobe Street (Stage 3) from Flagship (La Trobe) Pty Ltd in the North-West Stadium Precinct

2016–2020

2016

Construction is completed on the 19-level MDocklands mixed-use development at 677 La Trobe Street in the north-east Stadium Precinct
MDocklands features a 5-star Mantra 'Peppers' hotel on Levels 2 to 5 (87 guest suites), 186 private apartments over the remaining floors, 11 ground floor retail apartments and 168 car parking spaces
The AFL takes over the ownership and management of the Stadium

2018

The Stadium celebrated its 18th birthday, whilst also welcoming over two million patrons through the turnstiles, including the Stadium’s 40-millionth visitor
The State Government and Tourism Research Australia announced that Docklands and the Stadium were Melbourne’s 7th top attraction for overnight and day trip visitors
The Victorian State Government funded $225 million towards the upgrade of the Stadium so it can continue to attract world-class sporting and entertainment events to ensure Victoria maintains its reputation as the sporting capital of Australia
The Stadium is renamed for a fourth time to Marvel Stadium

2019

In June 2019, the Stadium wins Global Venue of the Year at the Stadium Business Awards — the first time an Australian venue has been named Venue of the Year