WATERFRONT STADIUM
Stunning proposal revealed
The design involves digging the stadium into the seabed at Bledisloe Wharf. Promoters of the project say it could be built within 10 years at no cost to ratepayers or taxpayers. To fund the deal, the backers want rights to create housing at Eden Park and apartments and commerical property at Bledisloe Wharf. The consortium behind the scheme say their plan draws on seismic design guidelines and the latest tsunami and climate change information.
Jaw-dropping plans for a new national stadium sunken into the Auckland seabed are being unveiled today to gauge public support. The stadium will cost $1.8 billion and could be built within 10 years at zero cost to ratepayers and taxpayers, says the Auckland Waterfront Consortium.
The “spectacular landmark” is the most serious proposal for a waterfront stadium since the hotly debated proposal for a Government-funded stadium for the 2011 Rugby World Cup was rejected by local politicians in 2006.
The fully enclosed stadium would seat 50,000 for rugby, rugby league and football matches, concerts and cultural events, and would be capable of being increased to 65,000 seats for major events like another Rugby World Cup. Cricket will be played on a new oval tentatively planned by Auckland Council’s facilities arm at Western Springs.
The stadium will be built alongside a redeveloped Bledisloe Wharf at Ports of Auckland, partly on reclaimed land and partly sunk into the seabed about 28m below sea level. Other features are a floating roof above sea level to reduce the loss of harbour views and the removal of Captain Cook Wharf, currently used for car imports.
The consortium said the sunken stadium will be designed and built to accepted seismic principles and modelling to protect against rising sea levels and tsunami.
“Our proposal is exciting, very ambitious, but represents a superb solution for the waterfront and the city as a whole. Importantly it is financially feasible and achievable,” says consortium chairman and property valuer Dave Wigmore.
To fund the stadium, the consortium wants the rights to build housing on 9ha at Eden Park and develop Bledisloe Wharf along the lines of Wynyard Quarter with apartments, commercial buildings and public space.
This would see the end of Eden Park, a fortress for the All Blacks and home of many of New Zealand’s most memorable sporting moments. It would also require the new and used cars business being moved from the port. The consortium plans to test the feasibility of the project over the next 12 to 18 months.
If it stacks up, it will seek a lead developer who will pay for the land and believes a reconstituted Eden Park Trust is the logical party to own and operate the stadium.
Sage said the crucial question for Aucklanders is whether they want the waterfront to be a car park and ugly industrial site or “absolutely world class and something to be proud of”.
Key players are happy for the latest stadium plan proposal to go out for public discussion, but not getting excited at this stage.
Mayor Phil Goff said he was keen to get a sense of what the public think, but made it clear the council has no money in its new 10-year budget for a stadium.
“There are a lot of hurdles.” he said. The mayor would not comment about handing over a big chunk of Ports of Auckland land to the consortium, saying was a matter for the council-owned port company.
The port company said any decision on port land for a stadium and residential development is a matter for council.
Finance Minister Grant Robertson, who is also Minister of Sport, said officials had met with the consortium and are being kept informed about the proposal.
Michael Stiassny, who chairs Nga¯ ti Wha¯tua’s commercial arm, Whai Rawa, said the iwi had long supported a new stadium in Auckland, but said it would require significant support from local and central government.