By Lyndsey Wetton, Fremantle-Cockburn Gazette
WESTERN Australia’s purple and white portside AFL team could be giving Fremantle the old heave-ho in favour of calling Cockburn home.
The Fremantle Football Club and the City of Cockburn have confirmed negotiations are under way to build a multi-million dollar training and administration facility in Cockburn Central.
City chief executive Stephen Cain projected a construction start date of late next year.
The facility, which would include indoor pools, a hydrotherapy pool, a gymnasium, a function space and community offices, would be built to the west of North Lake Road in Cockburn Central West.
Fremantle FC chief executive Steve Rosich maintains Cockburn is a second option after the Club’s preferred redevelopment of Fremantle Oval. Cockburn was being considered as part of a “due diligence process.”
“Although Fremantle Oval is our current and spiritual home, the significance and complexity of this project, including the limitations of the current site and the significant costs involved, dictates that we continue to conduct due diligence on alternative sites,” he said.
“…A green fields site within the City of Cockburn known as Cockburn Central West emerged as a possible alternative site for the club to house part or all our future training and administration base.”
Mr Cain said discussions had started with the club and the University of Notre Dame (UNDA) late last year and City staff were flown to Melbourne to investigate Hawthorn, North Melbourne and Carlton football clubs’ facilities.
“Should the Club and UNDA confirm their commitment to relocate to the site and all funding acquired and approvals granted, then construction could start late 2013-14,” he said.