RENOVATION: ST MARYS LEAGUES

A winning $25m renovation

New restaurants, bars, foyer, an event centre and huge sports bar, pave the way for Western Sydney’s new international gateway, writes Grant Jones.

WHEN ST MARYS Rugby League Club first opened its doors on Melbourne Cup Day in 1982, few would have thought that 40 years later this community club would be unveiling a $25 million redevelopment project.

With a new Western Foyer, Saints Event Centre and Saints Sports Bar, the project was a long-term vision of the board which now marks a significant milestone in the club’s history.

“Bringing this vision to reality has been extremely satisfying and rewarding for all, and to say that the club is excited by the result is an understatement!” St Marys Rugby League Club CEO Rod Desborough said. “The architect nailed the brief, and the new facilities are on par with the very best in the industry.”

Located in the growth corridor of Western Sydney, the forward-thinking club continues to evolve in response to demographic change, major infrastructure projects and the arrival of the new Western Sydney International (Nancy-Bird) Airport.

The Saints Event Centre will cater to a future population boom and increasing demand for event space. The additional meeting and conference space also now positions the adjoining Holiday Inn Sydney St Marys, owned and operated by St Marys Rugby League Club, as the preferred accommodation choice for Western Sydney’s corporate market.

The brief to Bergstrom Architects, with a build by FDC, was to create a “wow” factor with a new entrance and facade, one that would create a real presence and a sense of excitement and anticipation; an American-style sports bar with a strong focus on the audio-visual presentation of all sports; and a world-class event centre that offers the very best in design, comfort, fully integrated audio-visual technology, and a sophisticated ambiance.

The main entrance has been reorientated with an impressive and distinctive façade while the grand foyer features LED walls with 3D cascading waterfalls and marine life.

The new Saints Sports Bar offers patrons the ability to watch every big game, race, fight, or match on a massive 4.8m x 2.7m screen, or any of the 45 4K LED screens in the bar. It also has 18 beers on tap, plus signature cocktails and wine on tap, and a sports bar menu featuring all the favourites, such as pizzas, pastas, wings and sliders.

The long-awaited Saints Event Centre offers six rooms, over 500sqm of flexible, stylish and contemporary event space with a state-of-the-art audio-visual technology. It is designed for multiday conferencing and gala events and will cater to the future population boom and increasing demand for event space as major infrastructure projects are underway and the new Western Sydney International (Nancy-Bird) Airport progresses.

The additional meeting and conference space also now positions the adjoining Holiday Inn St Marys, owned and operated by St Marys Rugby League Club, at the forefront of corporate hospitality.