January. Winners of these events included Simon Wigg, Tommy Knudsen and Todd Wiltshire. Redevelopment By the early 2000s the Royal Melbourne Showgrounds had become dilapidated, especially when compared to other Australian venues such as the Sydney Showgrounds at Homebush. As a result, the State Government announced a redevelopment of the Royal Melbourne Showgrounds site, to be carried out as a joint venture partnership with the Royal Agricultural Society of Victoria and private sector investors, with demolition commencing in June 2002, and all work to be completed by the 2006 Royal Melbourne Show. In March 2004 a list of the three short-listed consortia was announced, with the winning applicant revealed in December that year: PPP Solutions – a consortium of financier Babcock and Brown, Multiplex Constructions, Multiplex Facilities Management, Spotless Services and Daryl Jackson Architects. The contract with PPP Solutions was signed on 22 June 2005, and required the consortium to design, build, finance and maintain the showground facilities for a period of 25 years. Costing $146 million, the government provided $101 million for the project, the Royal Agricultural Society $16 million, and the remaining $29 million will come from lease revenue and management fees. Two-thirds of the site was redeveloped as a venue for the Royal Melbourne Show, while 'non-core' land along Epsom Road and Langs Road to be given over to other uses. The works were completed as planned by the 2006 Royal Melbourne Show, and included the following new works: An 8,000-square metre Grand Pavilion, A new 10,000-square metre Exhibition Pavilion, which can house livestock, A new 4,300-seat outdoor arena, capable of holding two horse competition rings, A Grand Boulevard linking the grassy spaces and events areas, and The new headquarters for the Royal Agricultural Society of Victoria. The following heritage buildings were also restored: Centenary Hall, an art-deco hall built in 1934 and now restored to its original condition, The heritage-listed Public Grandstand, built in 1915 with new seating, Pie in the Sky, the heritage-listed and popular meeting point which was built in 1977. Before the redevelopment the main arena had a 15,000 capacity, with the new basic rectangle arena opened for the 2006 Royal Melbourne Show. Around the same time the rest of old arena was demolished. In 2008 the development of the Epsom Road site was announced, with Coles Group building a $40 million neighbourhood shopping centre, featuring a Coles supermarket, 1st Choice Liquor superstore,