Titans confirm plan to build new HQ

NRL chief executive Dave Smith believes the construction of a new headquarters for Gold Coast will secure the Titans' long-term future.

Gold Coast Titans players during a training session

Gold Coast are reportedly set to abandon their controversial $10.6 million Robina headquarters. (AAP)

NRL boss Dave Smith is confident Gold Coast's plan to build new headquarters just two years after being forced to sell their expensive Robina base won't repeat the mistakes of the past.

The Titans unveiled plans on Wednesday to construct a new base in the northern Gold Coast suburb of Coomera, with the aim of moving in ahead of the 2016 season.

It means the Titans will move out of their current Robina HQ by the end of next month, splitting their operations between two locations in 2015 while their new home is constructed.

The club's football department will be based at prestigious private school The Southport School with administrative staff to work out of the nearby Gold Coast City Council administration building.

The move ends one of the sorriest chapters in the Titans' history.

The then Titans Centre of Excellence, constructed in 2009 to much fanfare, was a state-of-the-art property which nearly killed the club when debts of up to $25 million forced it to be sold to Bond University.

The new project has support from the NRL with the land being provided to the Titans by the council on a community lease arrangement while board member Darryl Kelly will provide the funds for the building's construction.

Smith says he's confident the new building won't be another disaster for the cash-strapped Titans.

"The Gold Coast is a key market for us, it's a very important part of rugby league's fabric," he said.

"Darryl's behind it and Darryl's got a wealth of experience in these projects and I think that gives you a lot of comfort.

"It's a facility that's purpose built. It's going to be in a fantastic location.

"It's going to be something for the long term future of the Titans club and we're really clear about that."

Gold Coast chief executive Graham Annesley said the proposal to look at building a new home for the club had begun in March.

Annesley said he was confident the club had got the idea right this time around.

"This is an opportunity for us to attain purpose-built facilities that the club will control and own," he said.

"The NRL will control the lease over the land. The building is being constructed through the wonderful support of Darryl Kelly, a private investor who sees a long term future for the club on the Gold Coast.

"It's a very different scenario and also, we're not building a five or six storey tower, we're building a purpose built training and administration centre. The cost of that will be very tightly controlled and we expect that it'll be exactly what we need for our long term future."


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