It has been likened, perhaps unfairly, to Barcelona’s famous Sagrada Familia.
While Christchurch’s new Metro Sports Facility – Parakiore – lacks the incredible aesthetics of the Spanish basilica dreamed up by the renowned late architect Antoni Gaudi, they both share one undeniable similarity: after many years, neither of them is finished.
The Sagrada Familia is, at least, open.
The comparison is probably unfair because the Sagrada had more than a century’s headstart. It’s due for completion in 2026.
Parakiore is due for delivery later this year – but it’s been due before. The race is on.
Originally unveiled during Christchurch’s much-anticipated post-earthquake blueprint announcement of 2012, Parakiore was to be one of 17 “anchor projects” to rebuild the city. It has dragged the chain ever since.
Roughly half of the original 17 projects have been completed, with Parakiore and Te Kaha Stadium (branded as One NZ Stadium) nearing their finish lines. Others didn’t even make the start line.
The initial forecast was for it to be completed by 2016 – but it took six years before ratepayers could see any kind of meaningful progress on the site of the old Canterbury Draught brewery. Fitting, say some – suggesting that those in charge of the build might have struggled to co-ordinate an occasion of drinking within the walls of the previous occupants. Or words to that effect.
Preparation work began at Parakiore in August of 2018. To give you some idea of how long ago that was, Patient Zero in Wuhan was yet to contract Covid-19. The All Blacks were back-to-back reigning World Cup champions and Scott Robertson was only two breakdances deep as Crusaders coach.
Almost 2500 days have passed since.
The sod was turned almost a year later and completion was initially expected in 2021. And then by the end of 2022. That was pushed out further by the Covid lockdown.
The next finish date was mid-2023. A legal dispute added years to the completion date and mid-2025 was floated. Here we are, still under construction with the latest “due date” in October.
“The number of people that are actually here – probably 250-300 people on site, into finishing trades. We’ve put out before that we’re aiming for an October construction finish date. And, you know, everything is indicating that we’ll be there,” says John O’Hagan, chief executive of Crown Infrastructure Delivery.
The delivery date is not the only thing that’s blown out at the sports facility – so has the cost. The original 2012 budget was $206 million – but that was scaled up to $246m by 2015. A new figure was revealed in late 2017 by the new Labour Government – $321m. The $75m increase was described as “very disappointing” by then Minister for Greater Christchurch Regeneration – Megan Woods.
At one point, the final figure threatened to be three times the original budget, but the most recent price tag sits at $500m.
For that price, you’d expect to be impressed – and it is hard not to be. The scale of it is incredible. If either of the aquatic areas or the courts were standalone facilities, they’d still be impressive. The fact that they’re all under one roof is hard to fathom.
“It’s the biggest facility in New Zealand of this type, the second-largest in Australasia behind the one in Melbourne,” says O’Hagan.
The 32,000sq m venue will benefit numerous sports and their participants – with capacity for nine full-size “community” courts. There are coloured lines on the hardwood floors for basketball, netball, volleyball, korfball, futsal (domestic and international), floorball, handball and badminton.
There is also capacity to turn three of those courts into a 2500-seat “show court” that could host the Mainland Tactix netball team or the Canterbury Rams basketballers. The seating is retractable with the press of a button.
In the eastern wing is a 10-lane, 50m competition swimming pool with seating for 1000 spectators. It also boasts a 20x25m diving pool with four platforms that climb up to 10m high.
Steve Gladding, high performance director at Diving New Zealand, says the facility is world-class.
“Right up there amongst some of the best facilities that we have on the diving scene, and by far it’s going to be the best diving facility we have in New Zealand,” says Gladding.
“The amount of equipment we have in here is just second to none.”
Either side of the 10m platform are rigs that will be able to suspend divers in the air – enabling them to master new dives. There is also a “dry” diving area with a foam pit.
“It makes our job as coaches so much easier,” says Gladding.
Expect to see more black togs on the diving platforms of future Commonwealth and Olympic Games.
There’s also a special pool for New Zealand’s favourite diving technique – the manu.
That’s in the recreational pool area. It might also be New Zealand’s noisiest facility during the summer holidays. A wet playground is surrounded by multiple pools and the finishing chutes of the facility’s crowning glory.
Five “eel-inspired” hydro slides twist their way from the facility’s northern extremity to an internal pool.
Former Ōtākaro chief executive John Bridgman had described the water slides as “the biggest and best indoor hydro slides in New Zealand”.
“The trapdoor hydro slide, which sends riders hurtling down at around 40 kilometres per hour, will be a drawcard for the central city,” said Bridgman.
He retired before the project could be completed, while his former employer (Ōtākaro) has had three names across the length of the project, rebranded as Rau Paenga and then Crown Infrastructure Delivery.
Walking around the facility and through the heavy odour of paint and sealant, there is a buzz among the workers. The end is in sight. But it’ll take a little while before the public’s excitement at what is on offer overshadows the wait that Cantabrians have endured.
Ultimately, though, Parakiore will overwhelmingly deliver on what it was meant to be ... just at two-and-a-half times the original cost and almost a decade late.
Mike Thorpe is a senior journalist for the Herald, based in Christchurch. He has been a broadcast journalist across television and radio for 20 years and joined the Herald in August 2024.
Those living in neighbouring properties were made to leave as the fire took hold.