"They blasted music through the night, and there were shouting and sometimes fights. I called police several times, but nothing was done so I just gave up," Singh.
"I don't believe these were just innocent parties, and I'm quite sure drugs were involved in some of them. This place has been a trouble hotspot."
Another 61-year-old local, who gave her name only as Brenda, said her friend was robbed outside the velodrome two years ago at knifepoint.
"The park-like area is a popular place for us locals to go for walks, but it is also very quiet and unsafe," she said.
Police mark evidence found outside the Manukau Velodrome. Photo / Hayden Woodward
"I am not sure what happened in this case, but I am not surprised that someone has been killed."
Brenda said she stopped going there for walks after her friend was robbed at knifepoint when she went for a walk during Auckland's first lockdown in early 2020.
Today, the man arrived at Middlemore Hospital around 6am with critical injuries and "sadly died a short time later", Detective Inspector Karen Bright said.
"Police are in the very early stages of our investigation and are working to establish the circumstances surrounding the man's death which remain unclear at this time," she said.
"We have a scene examination under way at the velodrome in Manukau."
Formal identification procedures are in progress, police say, and they are working to "ensure the man's family is provided with Victim Support at this difficult time".
There is no further information available at this early stage.
The Manukau Velodrome was built for the 1990 Auckland Commonwealth Games.
It's close to both the southern motorway and Manukau city centre and locals have been campaigning to have it redeveloped.
