The AGM is going to be spicey. I wonder if Pert will pull out now? This board 🤦

  On 10/12/2024 at 23:00, Lucifers Hero said:

As MRC Chairman his comments carry some weight!

Did they not tell mfc that or was their a loophole ...

As the $195m from Scopus wipes out the MRC's $165m debt they don't need/want us anymore..

they would have got the same money from other developers. it's what the land is worth. can't see it makes any difference.

  On 11/12/2024 at 00:03, Roost it far said:

I love the fear of the 9 people who will no longer be able to walk their dogs despite the club only using a portion of the available land. The area is such a waste of land, we should be a no brainer.

Going back to 2019 Melbourne Victory had a spot in Footscray Park basically locked in a $18m academy site where the teams would train and the women, junior teams would play etc. 4 years of planning and discussion with Maribyrnong City Council, had State Government support and then faced revolt by dog walkers and local residents. 

A third of the 22-hectare park was to be granted to Melbourne Victory for a 21-year lease. Victory were even going to share some of the facilities with a local women's club. 

 

Now like us, seemingly stuck in Gosch's purgatory 

Melb Victory don't have the history, clout, support and connections of MFC. Footscray Park is an actual established park used by local people. If I was a Footscray resident I wouldn't be happy about MV encroaching on public park land and I am certainly no NIMBY.

Caulfield Racecourse is an underutilised barren waste land that most Glen Eira residents don't even know exist. Not really comparable IMHO.

  On 11/12/2024 at 00:43, No. 31 said:

Melb Victory don't have the history, clout, support and connections of MFC. Footscray Park is an actual established park used by local people. If I was a Footscray resident I wouldn't be happy about MV encroaching on public park land and I am certainly no NIMBY.

Caulfield Racecourse is an underutilised barren waste land that most Glen Eira residents don't even know exist. Not really comparable IMHO.

There was still plenty of public land in that area (photo above just a zoomed in one), the council said the fields were underused and investment would have assisted the area and the fields could have been used by the public when not in use by MV. So there was some benefit to the area too.

Either way just highlighting the difficulty in

• Appeasing all stakeholders, council, community groups
• Finding land in established areas near home-grounds

  On 10/12/2024 at 10:08, Roost it far said:

That’s the thing I don’t get. A school with $195mill and then another god knows how much to build something. The world is completely mad.

They are most likely selling some existing property that they own to raise the extra cash.

Excerpt from today’s Melbourne Age article seem to suggest that the MFC project is proceeding - 

Inside the private school super-campus slated for part of Caulfield Racecourse

Melbourne Football Club is working with Development Victoria to develop a business case, and the state government is yet to receive any funding proposal to consider in relation to the project. The club is estimated to require $70 million funding from outside its coffers to fulfil its plans, which include two new ovals.

The Demons made it clear through the feasibility process that the club would need access to the ovals for only 17 hours a week, and the remainder of the time they would be available for the community. The club would also be responsible for oval maintenance.

Scopus plans to build its own oval on the 7.5-hectare site, which is on the western perimeter of the racecourse and does not include the infield.

Melbourne Football Club chief executive Gary Pert said Scopus’ news was a positive step for the club’s hopes of realising its vision in Caulfield.

"We welcome the announcement that Mount Scopus Memorial College intend to be our neighbour, building a new campus adjacent to Caulfield Racecourse," Pert said in a statement.

"It's important to clarify that the club and Mount Scopus sites are separate parcels of land that may result in us being neighbours in the future.

"The Melbourne Football Club are currently preparing a business plan that is based on our facility and our two training ovals all being built on the Caulfield Racecourse Reserve Trust land.

“We see incredible potential in working alongside the community and community-based organisations, including Mount Scopus, to create meaningful synergies and mutual benefits for both communities and to enhance the Glen Eira area.”

Pert is leaving the club at the end of the year but will continue to consult on the Caulfield project.

The Caulfield Racecourse Reserve Trust said the Mount Scopus and Demons developments could coexist.
 

  On 11/12/2024 at 01:06, DeeZone said:

They are most likely selling some existing property that they own to raise the extra cash.

They are reconciling three campuses into one....

From 17.22 (absolute joke):

https://omny.fm/shows/racin-pulse-with-michael-felgate/john-kanga-explains-decision-to-sell-portion-of-la

  On 10/12/2024 at 05:20, Sir Why You Little said:

I am a bit concerned at how much money Mt Scopus are paying for their land. 
$195 million is a huge commitment and it will mean they have a large say in what happens in the future, regardless of promises made now. 
The MFC must tread very carefully with this, I would be extremely wary. 
Paying that sort of money will definitely give them a voice at Council Meetings….

 

The Scopus land is 7.5 hectares or about 1500 x 500m2 house blocks. So that's $130,000 per block. If you can get a block that size in Glen Eira City for that much money go for it! 😄

At the same time, it's about 0.2% of the Glen Eira City total area (3900 hectares). Why would they have a great say in council meetings? I'd be more worried about the increased traffic in the roads outside.

We can always find some "concerns" and "issues" with any proposal.

  On 11/12/2024 at 01:06, DeeZone said:

They are most likely selling some existing property that they own to raise the extra cash.

They've got three other campuses that they are going to consolidate. What's land worth in Burwood, Caulfield South and Elsternwick?

  On 11/12/2024 at 01:48, Grr-owl said:

I'm not sure the numbers go that high...

You don't reckon that Mt Scopus hasn't worked it out?

"There are currently 1210 students enrolled at Mount Scopus’ three campuses – in Burwood, Caulfield South and St Kilda East. Annual fees are more than $42,000 for senior levels.

Scopus Foundation president David Gold said establishing a campus closer to the Jewish community would result in a drop in fees, as families would no longer pay $3000 annually to bus students to its main campus in Burwood."

  On 11/12/2024 at 01:35, Ethan Tremblay said:

Come on.. the references you were making were quite clear. Please do not insult my (lack of) intelligence! 

Mate i grew up with loads of Jewish mates who either went to Mt Scopus or were kicked out of there and came to my school (St Leonards) i am not saying anything other than business. 
i also worked in Elsternwick and Balaclava for over 30 years, ate Bagels at Glick’s and Cakes from Aviv

so what you are inferring is wrong, but i am concerned for the MFC if they move to Caulfield under these circumstances long term, because i believe we will lose out. 

Edited December 11, 2024Dec 11 by Sir Why You Little

  On 11/12/2024 at 01:51, mauriesy said:

You don't reckon that Mt Scopus hasn't worked it out?

"There are currently 1210 students enrolled at Mount Scopus’ three campuses – in Burwood, Caulfield South and St Kilda East. Annual fees are more than $42,000 for senior levels.

Scopus Foundation president David Gold said establishing a campus closer to the Jewish community would result in a drop in fees, as families would no longer pay $3000 annually to bus students to its main campus in Burwood."

No, I get it.... was making a joke, of a kind. Think the kind is technically termed "sh*t."

I went past the site yesterday looking for the house where one day people will say about player X -

"He's training the house down and has come back in career-best form."

  On 09/12/2024 at 23:49, DeeSpencer said:

Where's the heartland for a school with campuses in Brighton, Keysborough, Berwick, West Melbourne, Darwin and Tianjin!

Wall Street.

  On 11/12/2024 at 01:56, Deeman said:

I went past the site yesterday looking for the house where one day people will say about player X -

"He's training the house down and has come back in career-best form."

Could we change it to, "they are training the Vet Clinic down."

  On 10/12/2024 at 23:58, Redleg said:

Correct and the Government control the Trust.

That may be their preferred position, but we are talking about a race club use, that would be about a dozen days, when they use the track and we won’t train there at those times obviously.

Can’t have footballs flying into race fields.

The rest of the year the area is a barren unused tip.

If I was the MRC I’d want one of 3 things with the in field:

1. Leave it as a tip. If somehow the Caulfield Trust can clear their debts and keep meeting their statutory outcomes with the in field in useless condition the lack of gentrification keeps the Race clubs rents low and life nice and simple.

2. Level it and make it open for mass parking on race days again so they can charge $20 a car and make a nice profit on the big days.

3. Refurbish it to a festival, events, concert space so they can host music events run by the MRC like Flemington do. Whilst there’s some public indemnity and secure costs involved that’s nothing new for race clubs and they can provide catering, facilities etc and drastically up their event days. The northern non ovals section is intended for just that but they’d want the whole thing.

The real question is WWEMD? What would Eddie McGuire Do? And the answer is he’d pack the Trust and then engineer the result he wants. Hopefully the MFC have done that. 

 

We wouldn’t even need the ovals on weekends 

My Biggest take away from this is the news we still haven’t finished putting together a business case to request funding from the government for the project. The whole things sounds fairly tenuous to me and I wouldn’t be surprised if it ultimately doesn’t go ahead given how slowly it’s gone so far, plus given the state of the budget in Victoria these days and the fact they are going to have to cut back projects I don’t foresee the funds been available.

Edited December 11, 2024Dec 11 by Garbo

  On 11/12/2024 at 02:44, Garbo said:

My Biggest take away from this is the news we still haven’t finished putting together a business case to request funding from the government for the project. The whole things sounds fairly tenuous to me and I wouldn’t be surprised if it ultimately doesn’t go ahead given how slowly it’s gone so far, plus given the state of the budget in Victoria these days and the fact they are going to have to cut back projects I don’t foresee the funds been available.

The time frame was always 12 months for the feasibility study (just done), and then 12 months for the business case.

No more discussion on private schools…..that is not what this thread is about.

Any further posts will be deleted.

It seems that the MFC move to Caulfield racecourse is all but a done deal. The scopus purchase has pushed this issue front and centre and will force the decision makers to finalise the arrangement asap. They’ll want to synchronise all projects to ideally complete together. I for one am looking forward to finished precinct 

  On 11/12/2024 at 12:34, Oxdee said:

It seems that the MFC move to Caulfield racecourse is all but a done deal. The scopus purchase has pushed this issue front and centre and will force the decision makers to finalise the arrangement asap. They’ll want to synchronise all projects to ideally complete together. I for one am looking forward to finished precinct 

Totally agree Oxdee the cards are finally falling in our favour, who wouldn’t want an Elite Sporting Team in your Precinct.

Kanga the clown at the MRC is making himself look stupid with his ill-conceived comments about dog walkers at the racecourse. The vast majority of residents want this redevelopment to happen and happen sooner rather than later.