Gold Coast chairman Tony Cochrane says the Gabba could be out of action as a sporting venue for up to three-and-a-half years as a result of Brisbane securing the 2032 Olympic Games.
The Gabba will increase to a 50,000-seat stadium in a $1 billion rebuild to host the opening and closing ceremonies as well as athletics.
The venue, which is set to become the centrepiece of the 2032 Games, hosts international and state cricket every summer and is the home of AFL club the Brisbane Lions.
Cochrane doesn’t expect any sport to be played at the Gabba for an extended period while the stadium undergoes a dramatic transformation.
“That’s the thing, because it’s not going to be upgraded, it’s effectively going to be knocked over and I think it’s being moved about 60 metres west,” Cochrane told SEN’s Dwayne’s World.
“A brand new palladium above the Cross River Rail station, so it’s going to be a major, major piece of infrastructure work.
“I think the reality is that the Gabba will be out of bounds as a sporting venue probably for three to three-and-a-half years.
“The whole of Queensland is in desperate need of a brand new Gabba.”
Brisbane will join Melbourne (1956) and Sydney (2000) as the third Australian city to host the Olympic Games.
