On Tuesday night, Yarra Council resolved to enter into a lease with the Collingwood Football Club Foundation to establish a community centre at the Magpies’ spiritual home.
Collingwood CEO Gary Pert told collingwoodfc.com.au that the club is thrilled with the outcome.
"We are absolutely delighted that Yarra Council resolved to enter into a lease with the Collingwood Football Club,” said Pert.
“The club is appreciative of the support of Yarra Council for this project and we will work closely with the council to develop a community hub that provides a range of services for community groups and people in and around Yarra.
“This is a wonderful opportunity for Collingwood to return to Victoria Park and make a major contribution to the community.”
The resolution paves the way for Collingwood to come to agreements with community groups who are interested in being based on Victoria Park.
“We are currently in discussions with a number of groups and service providers and with the formalisation of the lease we will now be able to progress plans to redevelop the Bob Rose Social Club Building,” added Pert.
“We would be pleased to speak with any community organisation that might have an interest in being a part of the centre."
Any interested organisations should contact David Emerson on (03) 8412 0012, or davide@collingwoodfc.com.au.
In 2009, Yarra Council voted to welcome Collingwood’s VFL team back to Victoria Park to play its 2010, 2011 and 2012 home games there, which has been a huge success for the club.
