Aucklanders will have a say on plans for a 12,500-seat stadium or a Ponsonby Rugby Club/music venue at Western Springs. Video / Dean Purcell
Local government hurdles are believed to be one reason the backers of a new sports arena at Western Springs pulled the plug on their proposal.
Auckland rich-listers Ali Williams and Anna Mowbray, and American billionaires Bill Foley and Bennett Rosenthal, said in a media statement on Tuesday that the processof delivering the project on public land presented “unique challenges” and came with “extended timelines and complexities”.
One source said the backers were led to believe that building a new home for Auckland FC at no cost to ratepayers would be straightforward, but did not anticipate council processes and hold-ups.
A second source said the backers were frustrated by the process, but that was not something the council could apologise for.
Ali Williams and Anna Mowbray were backing the proposed Auckland Arena at Western Springs. Photo / Supplied
The Herald is seeking comment from the backers as to whether issues working with Tātaki Auckland Unlimited (TAU) and the council contributed to the decision to pull the plug.
The backers pitched the new Auckland Arena, costing between $200 million and $300m, as “a once-in-a-generation opportunity” with a 12,500-seat rectangular stadium with a prominent outer bowl to accommodate an additional 25,000 spectators for live concert events, along with commercial and community facilities.
The arena proposal was up against a joint bid from Ponsonby Rugby Club and music promoter CRS Records in an 18-month process by council agency TAU to find a new operator for Western Springs.
TAU chief executive Nick Hill said the reasons the backers gave for pulling out were in their media statement on Tuesday.
Asked what the backers meant by extended timelines and complexities, Hill said that was a question for them.
Auckland Unlimited chief executive Nick Hill. Photo / Brett Phibbs
“But Tātaki, as part of the Auckland Council Group, is bound by democratic obligations that arise from NZ government legislation that are additional to a commercial deal process,” Hill said.
The Auckland Arena was not a clear favourite with Aucklanders. Feedback released by the Auckland Council on Tuesday showed that more people wanted to explore other options for the site or back a bid for a Western Springs Bowl, which would host the local rugby club and concerts.
Analysis of the 14,894 submissions showed that 33% of individuals wanted the council to explore other options for the site, 30% backed the Western Springs Bowl proposal, 21% preferred the Auckland Arena proposal, and 16% wanted to keep the site as it is.
Of the submissions by organisations, 33% backed the Western Springs Bowl, 33% wanted to explore other ideas, 29% preferred the Auckland Arena, and just 3% wanted to maintain the status quo.
Artist's impression of the proposed cricket oval at Western Springs.
The Auckland Arena is the second major project planned for Western Springs that has failed to materialise.
Western Springs was proposed to become the “Home of New Zealand Cricket” 10 years ago by TAU’s predecessor, Regional Facilities Auckland.
Designs by Warren and Mahoney showed a pavilion with corporate facilities for 700 people and premium covered seating above an open paved concourse circling the oval pitch.
There were plans for a Walk of Fame from the Great North Rd entrance, cricket training nets and upgraded outer fields for Ponsonby Rugby Club.
The $12m cost in 2015 steadily increased in scale and cost to $91m in 2019, but there was no council funding for the project, and nothing came of it.
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