The long-delayed redevelopment of the Sharks Leagues Club has hit yet another wall, with CEO Dino Mezzatesta admitting the project remains “at a standstill” and under developer control for more than five years since the original shutdown.
In an interview on the club’s website, Mezzatesta and Board Chairman Steve Mace spoke openly about the deep frustrations surrounding the stalled rebuild at Woolooware, describing the situation as legally complex and emotionally taxing.
“Unfortunately, we’re still a bit at a standstill here,” Mezzatesta said, adding that since the closure in 2019, “as far as the club itself, it’s still, unfortunately, as it was in 2019.”
'No sunset clause. No deadlines.'
The heart of the problem lies in a development agreement that lacked one crucial inclusion: a hard sunset clause that would have compelled the developer to finish the base build by a set date.
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“There’s no sunset clause on the development or the builder side of things to get this club open by a due date,” Mace explained. “To put it nicely — it’s a mess.”
While a revised agreement in 2019 brought in much-needed funds, both Mace and Mezzatesta conceded that a significant portion of the money was swallowed by debt. Still, they believe that the amendment was a “godsend” during COVID. “Without that funding during COVID, there's no question the club would have run out of working capital,” Mace said.
Despite the difficulties, the club maintains a working relationship with the developer. However, as Mezzatesta pointed out, legal constraints and incomplete works continue to block any formal handover. “Until those works are completed, we can’t possibly take back that club lot,” he said.