THE FIFTH and final stage of Geelong's GMHBA Stadium redevelopment will cost $100m to complete – the most expensive upgrade during the entire project.
A business plan comprising the plans for the works to the Ford Stand and Gary Ablett Terrace will be delivered to the Victorian government early next year.
At this point it has been forecast stage five will be $10m over budget, CEO Brian Cook says.
"The state government provided a $3.8m grant to do a business case," Cook said.
"While we (Geelong) were the ones who advocated and actually got the money, the money went to the Kardinia Park Stadium Trust.
"It's their role, they have been developing the business case in conjunction with state government's major events or capital works program."
With input from the Cats, the Kardinia Park Trust has taken over the key responsibility when it comes to the designing and roll out of stage five.
The final stage will bring the capacity of the stadium to 40,000 with cricket, which has been played at the ground at an international scale, to have a major presence.
"If all goes to plan it (the existing stand) will be knocked over by now, after the season finishes," Cook said.
"It's really important that only two pre-seasons and one main season is construction time, otherwise you lose two years of P&L (profit and loss) in that whole area."
Stages one to four of the redevelopment have already been completed.
Stage four, which encapsulated the major works done to the Charles Brownlow stand, was officially opened in May.