After years of juggling operations across multiple locations, the Tasmania JackJumpers have officially broken ground on a new facility that will bring the whole club under one roof.
Construction began today on the $15 million high-performance training centre in Kingston, right next to the Kingborough Sports Centre in a major milestone for the NBL champions.
The state-of-the-art facility will house everything from training courts and rehabilitation facilities to administrative offices and a merchandise store.
JackJumpers CEO Christine Finnegan said the move will put an end to the logistical headache of having players and staff working from separate locations.
“It’s just great synergy when you’re under one roof and the barriers are the travel time that it takes between and that we don’t see each other every day,” she said.
“There’s no doubt that in high-performance environments it’s very good when the front office and the back office and everybody come together for the bigger picture.”
Club Chair Steve Old said the JackJumpers have come a long way despite tough conditions, including training in cold facilities without proper heating.
“To get where we have to this point with the facilities and stuff we’ve had has been remarkable,” he said.
“To get a high-performance centre in 12 months is going to be unbelievable and just helps us on the journey of being the best club in the NBL.”
“When you’re trying to compete in one of the best leagues in the world and you’re trying to get players to come down to you and play for your side, you need to have the best facilities.”
Local construction firm Fairbrother is leading the build and will employ between 60 and 80 workers at the project’s peak. Crews have already begun setting up site offices and preparing for excavation.
Kingborough mayor Paula Wriedt said the project has generated excitement in the community, particularly among local school children.
The new centre will also relieve pressure on the Kingborough Sports Centre, which currently caters to 33 different sports and is bursting at the seams.
“We’ve loved hosting the JackJumpers there but we’ve got a huge issue when it comes to capacity,” Wriedt said.
“We could double the number of courts there. We’ve got four indoor courts at the moment. Ideally we need eight.”
As well as elite training, the facility will provide basketball infrastructure for the broader community and be open to local clubs, schools and the JackJumpers’ popular community programs.
The new centre will also sit alongside the future home of the Tasmania Devils AFL team.
