The Bombers will have a functional base at the airport which they will share with the Australian Paralympic Committee (APC), and "a spiritual home" at Windy Hill, where they will hold functions, clinics and maintain the Hall of Fame.
Chairman David Evans says the Bombers' move into the state-of-the-art facility in February 2013 would deliver significant long-term benefits for the club.
"The [Windy Hill] facilities have definitely slipped so we need to get a move on," he said on Thursday.
"Sentiment is nice but the bottom line is we have to win games of footy. We have to ensure our players and coaches are given the very best opportunities to prepare."
CEO Ian Robson, who as Hawthorn boss oversaw the Hawks' relocation to Waverley Park in 2006, said the entire club was in favour of the move.
"If we needed any reinforcement, we've got a totally reconfigured coaching group and all of them bar James [Hird] were coaching at another facility last year or playing, like Simon Goodwin," he said.
"They have a practical experience of what they're used to and what the benchmark is, and we know we've fallen behind.
"This is about us and our resources, vision and ambition. This is a big statement about that moving forward."
The Bombers will begin construction on the project - worth $20-$25 million and funded by a combination of Federal Government money and private finance including benefactors and fundraising - in 2012 after spending next year planning.
It will be spread across 100,000 square metres of land on Melrose Drive in Tullamarine, and has the potential to grow even larger over the duration of the 37-year lease.
It will feature two ovals - one the size of the MCG and the other the same dimensions as Etihad Stadium - as well as an administrative base to be built on the north-western side that will double as a wind block.
They will honour the on-going 21-year lease at Windy Hill and train there occasionally, while VFL affiliate the Bendigo Bombers and local clubs will play games there.
Robson said the decision to use land 11km from Windy Hill and 18km from the city was taken because of the fast-expanding population in the area, with suburbs such as Sunbury, Melton and Diggers Rest booming.
"We need to look for areas to grow and develop a fan base, and from that fan base you harvest members, and from those members you build up a level of financial critical mass," he said.
"What's happening in this part of Melbourne is really exciting and we want to be right at the front of that."
Research over the past year had determined the wind levels at the site were comparable to Windy Hill and there was less pollution in the region than in Richmond.
The other serious contender was a Keilor Park base while Essendon Airport, the Melbourne Showgrounds and La Trobe University were also considered.
Ultimately, it came down to the Bombers wanting to make a new and significant imprint on an untouched pocket of Melbourne.
"The imagery that's aligned with [the Bombers] and an aeroplane, the airport thing always had a little bit of a marketing x-factor alongside it," Robson said.
"Another venue we looked at was Essendon Airport, but the commerciality and deal we've been able to strike here was more competitive."
Robson also said he wasn't expecting the Bombers' affiliation with Bendigo to change in the near future.
