THE FINAL piece of the Whitten Oval redevelopment project received the green light on Thursday when the Western Bulldogs announced works on its community sports hall would commence thanks to a $1.2 million Federal Government grant. 

The multi-purpose hall will cost $5.4 million in total with the rest of the funding already in place.

The hall will be 88m long, 50m wide, will have a total floor space of 4500sq m, will house four basketball courts and two netball courts and will be used by up to 278 schools and organisations in the region.

Bulldogs chief executive Campbell Rose said the redevelopment has allowed the club to turn Whitten Oval into a thriving community hub from what was "a rat-infested, tinea-infested hole".

The redevelopment has already seen the establishment of the Mission elite learning centre, refurbishment of the E.J. Whitten stand, the 'infill' building which includes the club's administrative facilities and the John Gent stand which will house several educational institutions and community-based programs.

"This is hugely significant for all of us, particularly those of us who are members of the Western Bulldogs Football Club, but more importantly for the people that live out here in the west," added club president David Smorgon.

"We estimate over 4000 kids a week together with hundreds of adults will come here to utilise this facility.

"It wasn't that long ago that the community of the western region saved this football club and I think to their credit and the football club's credit we're paying them back in spades in terms of what you see in the growth and development of the club."

The Minister for Employment Participation, Senator Mark Arbib, said the grant was one of the 172 projects funded as part of the Rudd Government's $650 million jobs fund.

The new hall will be situated next to the John Gent stand and is slated for completion in September of next year.