The proposed Events Centre project would add $3.61 million to the Wanganui economy each year from 2015, according to an independent report.
The report, compiled by APR Consultants, was commissioned by the Wanganui District Council in preparation for this year's referendum.
According to the report, $1 million worth of household income would be added to Wanganui's income from 2015, and more than 38 jobs created or sustained.
The project's advocate, Randall Mellows, said the figures were robust and maybe conservative.
"We've got a lot of confidence in APR for the work they've done. They did work for the Rotorua Events Centre and their figures proved very accurate.
"If anything, they were quite conservative, and I personally believe these are quite conservative too."
The report predicts the Events Centre's biggest earnings will come from concerts.
Seven concerts a year with an average of 2000 people paying $100 each would result in more than $1.9 million output.
This is equivalent to 52 per cent of the project's economic value.
Mr Mellows said those figures might seem high, but other regional stadiums around the country had proven it was a realistic projection.
"What we've learned from doing comparisons with Stadium Southland and the Rotorua Events Centre is that people there have come back to us and said, 'Perhaps your estimate of what you will take in from each event is a bit high, but your estimate of the number of events you attract is low'."
The report also predicts the Events Centre will attract the Oceania Games cycling event, and the New Zealand National Cycling Championships once every two years each, and one National Championship netball game every two years.
As the only indoor athletics facility, it would have a monopoly over the Indoor National Athletic Championships.
It could also attract significant skating events and possibly a Davis Cup tennis tie, the report suggests.
Mr Mellows said the issue was now in the voter's hands.
"The issue is whether people are thinking about the long-term, and whether they want Wanganui to grow bigger and into the top tier of regional cities, or thinking about the short term," he said.
"If the city gets behind this 100 per cent, and we get the right people managing it, then Rotorua and Stadium Southland have shown us the possibilities."
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