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A successful America's Cup challenge by Emirates Team New Zealand next year will prompt a scramble to balance the demands of playing host for a cup regatta and opening the western waterfront area to the public.
Since the cup was lost in Auckland in 2003, the land owners
of the western reclamation and Wynyard Pt Tank Farm have hatched a redevelopment plan which includes Syndicate Row - where the former Team New Zealand and their challengers had their bases.
The team's building is one of only six bases left from the heady days of 2000 and 2003 when Viaduct Harbour sparkled with superyachts and Aucklanders and international visitors flocked to the Cup Village to cheer the racing boat crews.
Four bases were cleared away for a luxury apartment development in the Lighter Basin.
Now the ranks of lofty sheds face further thinning, with plans for a bridge to connect downtown Quay St with the western side of Viaduct Harbour and a proposed marine events precinct and an entertainment precinct at Jellicoe St.
The Auckland City Council's general manager of city development, John Duthie, said the bridge would go from Te Wero Island across the viaduct's channel and through one of the bases on the western side to align with Jellicoe St. The base in the road is the one used by Alinghi, the successful Swiss challengers.
He said a bridge would be for pedestrians at first but eventually it would carry buses.
Te Wero Bridge, estimated to cost $35 million and be built by 2011, would restore direct access between the waterfront's east and west, something citizens enjoyed when the heritage lifting bridge was operating for the commercial fishing fleet.
The Waterfront Vision 2040 document, which the city council and Auckland Regional Council issued last year, says an iconic bridge would signal the gateway to Auckland's waterfront but must be able to open and shut quickly to allow boats to move in and out of the viaduct.
It would be available for only pedestrians, cyclists and passenger transport.
Mr Duthie said the concept of the cup village had been successful. "We would like to do again if we win the cup in Valencia next year."
In 2003, the city council bought the former Team New Zealand base for part of a marine events centre.
It now manages all the bases, using them for such events as Fashion Week. It pays rent to land owner America's Cup Village Ltd, a subsidiary of Auckland Regional Holdings, in turn owned by the regional council.
Mr Duthie said all parties thought a marine events centre was a good idea. "We agree that until we know what happens in Valencia next year, we should not do anything that compromises that land ... Let's see how well we do and put it all together."
Mr Duthie said it was not impossible to have both a marine events centre and the cup syndicate bases. "The plan is to have easy public access all the time everywhere, though in America's Cup they do have to have some secrecy issues but it's in the way you manage it."
ARC strategy planning committee chairman Paul Walbran said NZ was such a serious contender for the cup that redevelopment plans for the syndicate base area allowed for any future hosting of the regatta.
"We have agreement that the remaining bases and that area remain flexible so the cup bases can be there."
A spokesman for Emirates Team New Zealand said the team did not have a position on the effects of redevelopment on the bases and did not want to get into that sort of debate.
However, prominent Auckland yachting supporter John Street said the bridge must either lift or pivot to allow navigation into the marina and enough space must be provided for all bases.
It would not be known for some time how many bases would be needed and when they were needed by.
"But if you had more than six challengers you would have to provide more wharf space.
"The plan was to continue Halsey St extension to go further out towards Stanley Pt and a put a dog-leg back towards Princes Wharf, because you would have to create protected water."
Mr Street said once the requirements were known, rapid decisions would be needed and special legislation to fast-track construction.
Royal New Zealand Yacht Squadron commodore John Crawford said he was not concerned at this stage that redevelopment would hinder hosting a cup regatta.
"Heavens no ... The cup was far too great an economic benefit for New Zealand - which was demonstrated by the Government getting behind it - not to allow something like that."
He said the councils did not seem to be in a hurry to dismantle bases and he was assured that Te Wero Bridge could be made so it allowed vessels in and out of the Viaduct.
