Wednesday 20 April, 2011
Will it be zero or hero for Stadium Southland?
Two plans for the Stadium Southland rebuild have been unveiled for community consideration – aptly named the `Zero’ and `Hero’ option.
Southland Indoor Leisure Centre Charitable Trust chairman Action Smith was excited to unveil the next phase of the rebuild project.
“This will make us the envy of New Zealand again for the facility we are providing for our children,” he said.
“This has always been about the little people and creating a facility for our children to achieve their dreams.”
The cheaper Zero option, which would cost a total of $22.6m and require $2.75m of additional funding, would feature the majority of changes in the court area, with the roof raised by 4m and additional seating installed to cater for up to 4000.
However, while the roof above the seven courts would be built to current earthquake and snow-loading standards, the Zero option would leave the current foyer area largely unchanged structurally.
The Hero option would cost a total of $28.7m, including an additional $8 million above the final payment from NZI Insurance. It features a completely new roof over the entire structure and an extra 650sqm of additional space incorporating a three-level entrance with a start-of-the-art appearance and a plethora of features, including a Hall of Fame and Clip ‘n’ Climb rock wall.
Stadium trustees have earmarked about $1.25m of savings to contribute to the new stadium and would need to seek either $1.5m for the Zero option, or $6.7m for the Hero from community funders.
Smith said it was important for the community to have a voice.
“We need the community to stand up because our community funders need assistance with this and to hear their views – do they want the Zero or the Hero?” he said.
“I think this has to become a priority for our funders to help us as best they can.”
The Hero option would provide the city with a “safe haven” should disaster strike.
“We owe it to the people of Invercargill to have one place that meets civil defence requirements as a safe haven for up to 5000 people,” Smith said.
“With the exception of the hospital, this will be the strongest building in Invercargill.”
Stadium Southland general manager Nigel Skelt said it was rare to get a “second chance” to build a venue the calibre of Stadium Southland, which had evolved considerably since it opened as a sports arena in 2000.
“We need to ensure sporting bodies or national and international events don’t have any excuse not to come to Invercargill like they have in the past,” he said.
“From my perspective operationally, it’s about future-proofing for the next 25 years. It’s not about all the fancy toys, it’s about making sure we have the best operational equipment in there to ensure the viability of our stadium into the future.
“Most importantly, the community has sent a clear statement that the building must be safe and the hero option ensures that.”
Extensive consultation had revealed significant changes in the needs of the community and it was imperative the new stadium catered for the masses, including entertainment which contributed about 40 percent of its income annually.
“We had 10,000 sports users a week for nine months a year utilising Stadium Southland so it’s critical we meet the wider community’s expectations with the rebuild,” Skelt said.
“People’s needs have changed – quality seating, improved amenities and facilities and user-friendly playing surfaces are pivotal to the stadium’s success.”
Stadium Southland hosted around 80 elite events annually, despite being originally designed to cater for just 12.
Hailed as a world-class venue before its demise, the Southland community had an opportunity to reclaim its’ reputation.
“Attracting events is an extremely competitive market and we need to recapture the edge we’ve had in the past over other regions – the Southland community deserves that,” Skelt said.
Meanwhile, Southland firms McNeill Drilling and Amalgamated Builders Ltd have today completed the piles at the Surrey Park site and construction of the stadium itself is expected to begin next month.
