Viaduct's right to the east for pre and post-game functions, and Wynyard Quarter's beautiful in itself
Park Hyatt is two minutes away for any visiting teams
Transport links to Britomart from anywhere in the city - from there, it's a short 10-min walk across the waterfront and Wynyard Crossing. Better than navigating through suburban hell
The space right now is absolutely useless, and has been since the America's Cup.
Best time for this was 2011, and the second-best time is now.
Yeah this is a gorgeous location, and would also form a nice natural procession for fans along Hamer St. I think there's a lot of events along side the new franchise that would benefit from a 10,000 - 15,000 seater stadium.
Because we need at least one stadium in NZ with EP capacity plus for All Black Tests, and other major eventsFooty_Fella
coochiee
Great beautiful template if plan to keep Eden Park. Too small by a multiple of 5x, if EP is to be bowled over.
I'm sure it will get eyes rolling, but - why not lose EP and have two stadiums in the CBD?
That's what I mean, we could have an EP replacement on Bledisloe wharf or over the old train tracks, and then a smaller football-purposed out in Wynyard Quarter. I think we need to replace EP and NHS with smarter and more clearly purposed stadiums, and I don't see why both couldn't be in the CBD.
Some facts on Eden Park https://edenpark.co.nz/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/fact-sheet_updated.pdf
The government put $190m into Eden Park for the 2011 World Cup and beyond. It ain't going to rip it down 15 years later.
NHS is surrounded by 6 six community fields. If you sell that land to commercial interests to fund something equivalent more central, you lose those 6 community fields as well. (Still can't believe the stand at North Harbour was chopped up for a flaky baseball proposal that was never going to stand up)
over 2 years ago· edited over 2 years ago· History
reubee
Some facts on Eden Park https://edenpark.co.nz/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/fact-sheet_updated.pdf
The government put $190m into Eden Park for the 2011 World Cup and beyond. It ain't going to rip it down 15 years later.
NHS is surrounded by 6 six community fields. If you sell that land to commercial interests to fund something equivalent more central, you lose those 6 community fields as well. (Still can't believe the stand at North Harbour was chopped up for a flaky baseball proposal that was never going to stand up)
It's more really now an Auckland Council issue, than a national Govt matter.
Are Council prepared to pay the $6.3M grant Eden Park Trust want each year to maintain the park (basically annual capital works/depreciation cost)? Is the land EP sits on better suited to high density housing in a city with a housing problem that is only getting worse? Could a private consortium fully fund construction of a new waterfront National stadium (maybe by getting land EP sits on for free to develop housing), and then run it profitably enough so that as it aged all ongoing future capital works were self funded? Certainly a Waterfront stadium with less noise restrictions etc would stage more events than EP, which is limited to 6 concerts per year from starters.
But EP Trust have their own proposal to reinvent EP as a proper national stadium, and seemingly make it a better atmosphere for games where the ground is far from full. ‘Eden Park 2.0’ vision.
Problem with this plan who funds the hundreds of millions required to do this huge EP upgrade. Also will Ms H Clark have a problem with thousands of UFC fans wandering her leafy street.
I guess Council & all it's consultants will get to decide. Big, big decision for the city of cars.
While they have not put a price tag on the vision – it would be easily hundreds of millions of dollars – the Eden Park Trust Chair Doug McKay estimates it would be about 40 percent of the cost of starting from scratch at a greenfield location and avoids engineering and environmental issues likely to affect other areas, including the Auckland waterfront.
The Trust has released a promotional video and images of the Eden Park vision – “Eden Park will be part of our future – it’s always been part of our home. It’s our future covered.”
Maintained McKay, “People love coming here – it’s been the place of memories for decades for New Zealanders. We need a 60,000-capacity stadium – Eden Park is it. Auckland has to be the home of that stadium.”
He and stadium bosses say the Eden Park – current capacity 50,000 -is the logical location for the new-look stadium to rise over the next 10-20 years.
They envisage a facility attracting all manner of sporting events beyond rugby, cricket, league, and football – from moto-cross to boxing and Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), as well as concert and community events. By curtaining off upper levels – “club mode” -the ground could also be transformed for slightly smaller fixtures, such as the National Provincial Championship (NPC) rugby games.
The new-look Eden Park would replace a “mismatched bag of bones” – the existing patchwork design in which no two of the four grandstands are the same.
McKay says the revamp is envisaged in four stages:
New, bigger, West and East stands, with designs similar to the South Stand that was completed for the 2011 men’s Rugby World Cup;
A completely new North Stand, designed in line with the South Stand and the two new East and West stands;
A retractable roof, extending between the East and West stands, allowing all-weather events such as one-day and T20 cricket matches – and avoiding messy and wet concerts and other events; and
A grand pedestrian promenade – like the one leading to the 34,500-capacity Sky Stadium in Wellington, New Zealand – linking the Kingsland train station with a new entrance to the park. The promenade would be built over the busy Sandringham Road and give pedestrians unencumbered access.
Park bosses cite a number of other advantages.
The park’s location is already at the center of a major revamp of Auckland’s public transport infrastructure – the City Rail Link connects the Western and Eastern train lines and would deliver a big boost in passengers to the Kingsland Station directly from the CBD. And if the Labour Government gets its way, a new light-rail system would travel directly through the Eden Park neighborhood, to and from the airport and the City.
By building on the current footprint, the Park estimates it could save 137,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions, compared with the construction of an entirely new facility.
McKay believes decisions on a future big-capacity stadium need to be made before further, massive ratepayer investment is placed in aging assets at the Council-owned stadiums such as the 40,000-capacity Mount Smart Stadium in Auckland, the 30,000-capacity Western Springs Stadium and Park in Auckland and the 25,000-capacity North Harbour Stadium also in Auckland.
Put in McKay, “The Government, Council, parks, and codes all need to align on a stadium strategy for New Zealand and Auckland. And stadiums in Auckland should be all quarantined into one organization – at the moment, they all march to a different tune.”
Some facts on Eden Park https://edenpark.co.nz/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/fact-sheet_updated.pdf
The government put $190m into Eden Park for the 2011 World Cup and beyond. It ain't going to rip it down 15 years later.
NHS is surrounded by 6 six community fields. If you sell that land to commercial interests to fund something equivalent more central, you lose those 6 community fields as well. (Still can't believe the stand at North Harbour was chopped up for a flaky baseball proposal that was never going to stand up)
Sunk costs. Can’t keep funding the Birds Nest on the basis it was a spenny Olympics!
over 2 years ago· edited over 2 years ago· History
Lol- there’s a lot of words there from McKay.
Like the ‘grand pedestrian promenade’ which sounds a lot like a footbridge across Sandringham Road connecting to the right of way down to Walters Ave.
It just kind of shows the mad point we’ve got to in our stadium infrastructure. Nothing is quite right, live viewing numbers are down everywhere because that’s basically Sky Sports business model and anything we do will have detractors with valid arguments.
I know they did some reconfigeration at NHS for the baseball, but what exactly did they do to the stand itself? they have played rugby there during this time, what effect did it have?reubee
Some facts on Eden Park https://edenpark.co.nz/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/fact-sheet_updated.pdf
The government put $190m into Eden Park for the 2011 World Cup and beyond. It ain't going to rip it down 15 years later.
NHS is surrounded by 6 six community fields. If you sell that land to commercial interests to fund something equivalent more central, you lose those 6 community fields as well. (Still can't believe the stand at North Harbour was chopped up for a flaky baseball proposal that was never going to stand up)
If they ditched the Number 2 ground at EP and put in a 5-10 story car park, the would resolved a lot of issues. But that will never happen.
that's because the #2 ground is used far more than the #1 ground - All the Auckland Cricket mens and womens games are played there all summer, no idea what happens in the winter but I'd expect it'd be well used.
If they ditched the Number 2 ground at EP and put in a 5-10 story car park, the would resolved a lot of issues. But that will never happen.
that's because the #2 ground is used far more than the #1 ground - All the Auckland Cricket mens and womens games are played there all summer, no idea what happens in the winter but I'd expect it'd be well used.
If they ditched the Number 2 ground at EP and put in a 5-10 story car park, the would resolved a lot of issues. But that will never happen.
that's because the #2 ground is used far more than the #1 ground - All the Auckland Cricket mens and womens games are played there all summer, no idea what happens in the winter but I'd expect it'd be well used.
It’s a fantastic ground with a great history.
I'm sure it is, but it's not like a Hagely park is it?
Perhaps Foley has got NZ football interests involved again. It’s not clear that any potential waterfront stadium would be what a new club would need, though it might be being built alongside plans for a WC bid in 34 or 38? Perhaps some in NZ Rugby might also use the stadium process to try and damage the new football franchise? But it seems that there’s no discussion of what future rights would be granted to any consortium to fund such a venture either. Would we be guaranteeing a certain level of income from such a venture? Would we be guaranteeing it against damage from water level rises and storms?
over 2 years ago· edited over 2 years ago· History
theprof
martinb
theprof
LG
If they ditched the Number 2 ground at EP and put in a 5-10 story car park, the would resolved a lot of issues. But that will never happen.
that's because the #2 ground is used far more than the #1 ground - All the Auckland Cricket mens and womens games are played there all summer, no idea what happens in the winter but I'd expect it'd be well used.
It’s a fantastic ground with a great history.
I'm sure it is, but it's not like a Hagely park is it?
Depends who you are I guess…talking about the Outer Oval here. Knock down the main stadium and leave the Outer Oval for club cricket! Bet that’s not an option being considered…
I know they did some reconfigeration at NHS for the baseball, but what exactly did they do to the stand itself? they have played rugby there during this time, what effect did it have?reubee
Some facts on Eden Park https://edenpark.co.nz/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/fact-sheet_updated.pdf
The government put $190m into Eden Park for the 2011 World Cup and beyond. It ain't going to rip it down 15 years later.
NHS is surrounded by 6 six community fields. If you sell that land to commercial interests to fund something equivalent more central, you lose those 6 community fields as well. (Still can't believe the stand at North Harbour was chopped up for a flaky baseball proposal that was never going to stand up)
Have a look at NHS on Google Maps with Satellite View. The main covered East stand is intact, the uncovered West stand is about 30% of what it was. You can still play rugby and football no problem, however you effectively only have useful seating on one side of the ground.
over 2 years ago· edited over 2 years ago· History
LG
If they ditched the Number 2 ground at EP and put in a 5-10 story car park, the would resolved a lot of issues. But that will never happen.
Car parking in a central-suburban location which would be perfect for new apartment blocks, and is probably better served by train *and* bus than 90% of the city. That's the most Auckland way of thinking I can imagine.
Ramming liberal dribble down your throat since 2009 This forum needs less angst and more Kate Bush threads
over 2 years ago· edited over 2 years ago· History
Doloras
LG
If they ditched the Number 2 ground at EP and put in a 5-10 story car park, the would resolved a lot of issues. But that will never happen.
Car parking in a central-suburban location which would be perfect for new apartment blocks, and is probably better served by train *and* bus than 90% of the city. That's the most Auckland way of thinking I can imagine.
Yipe a new car park is the complete opposite of what's required. That area is one of the best public transport serviced hubs in the country. Plus adding hundreds more cars clogging up the streets there on match day, will just piss off many of the local residents, including the small but vocal group looking for any excuse to have events cancelled at EP.
Based off the proposed plan for ‘Eden Park 2.0’ vision, it could be a world class stadium. Catering for sold out events. But also with some good ideas on how to offer a top notch game day atmosphere for teams that might only consisently average crowds of 10,000-20,000 (Blues, Warriors, an Auckland A League team). But's it's just who pays the hundreds of millions to do this major revamp.
over 2 years ago· edited over 2 years ago· History
Never heard of BC Place until reading this thread... the roof coming up and down depending on which tier is being used is awesome.
That getting built at Silo Park is too perfect, so there's no chance it'll happen. But if you did, I reckon you could go the full hog and scrap NHS, DP, and Mt Smart... maybe keeping a couple of the community fields. Maybe convert one of them to a cricket venue if necessary.
Eden Park is a non option in my opinion simply due to the usage limitations. Which isn't just due to noise, but the ridiculous the amount of traffic management that's required for even the simplest event as well. There's no way in hell NZ is going to be able to tell the residents to get over it so the quicker we give up on Eden Park the better.
Our stadiums should be clearly purposed. Eden Park is the antithesis of that. Not by accident of course - they're a private business and they've clearly worked out that having fingers in as many pies is possible is the best way for them to make money.
Eden Park 2.0.PNG674.45 KB This is their own rendering of what football would look like in 'Eden Park 2.0.' Three stands scrapped (including the northern ASB stand - the only one that looks nice) and millions of dollars spent to give us these pitch distances.
Maybe purposed football stadiums are too much of an ask, but separating oval and rectangle fields is not, it's basic stuff. And that's not getting started on the location.
OK thanks, from memory that side of the field rarely had many spectators sitting there for normal games. There had also been talk (not sure how serious) that they would replicate the main stand on that side of the field. The main beef over the years seems to be accessibility and proximity to those south of the Bridge. I have had a bit of experience with using and organising events at NHS over 20 years ago and the biggest hurdle faced was running events on a Friday evening where teams etc from South Auckland often couldn’t make it in time because of the traffic bottleneck of the southern motorway and Harbour Bridge. I attended many big games like the All Blacks, Kiwis and All Whites and the venue was fine. Some changes to the transport accessibility - buses, trains etc, was all it needed and I don’t know if there have been any changes to that over time.
When we talk about accessibility etc and proximity to populations it with an attendance lens is it not? When you are looking at wanting a walk up crowd or a decent attendance vs a mediocre one because of distance from the suburbs, how many people are you actually talking about really? Are you wanting ( using Wellington as an example here) a 10,000 crowd instead of a 5,000 one?
Must be remembered that cities grow too and what is easily accessible today may not be within the life if a new stadium. When I moved to Auckland in the 70s, Albany was a packed lunch away from Auckland city, now in a straight run, 20 minutes. I think NHS can be a decent location for a sporting franchise and while a small number might be put off from attending at certain times or can’t easily make a last minute decision to attend straight from work etc, the ultimate determination of crowd numbers etc us the football product and experience being offered. I would suggest that if your determining factor is how many you can get through the gate, then you're going to struggle as an entity if you don’t look after the more important determinants of success - the players, the standard of football, administration, sponsors, corporates, the success of the A League itself. That is what gets people through to the game in general. You want a steady fan base not have to rely on people going because of a last minute decision or because the park is across the road. Our issues in NZ is not so much location but all the other things needed to make a club successful.
reubee
Napier Phoenix
I know they did some reconfigeration at NHS for the baseball, but what exactly did they do to the stand itself? they have played rugby there during this time, what effect did it have?reubee
Some facts on Eden Park https://edenpark.co.nz/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/fact-sheet_updated.pdf
The government put $190m into Eden Park for the 2011 World Cup and beyond. It ain't going to rip it down 15 years later.
NHS is surrounded by 6 six community fields. If you sell that land to commercial interests to fund something equivalent more central, you lose those 6 community fields as well. (Still can't believe the stand at North Harbour was chopped up for a flaky baseball proposal that was never going to stand up)
Have a look at NHS on Google Maps with Satellite View. The main covered East stand is intact, the uncovered West stand is about 30% of what it was. You can still play rugby and football no problem, however you effectively only have useful seating on one side of the ground.
over 2 years ago· edited over 2 years ago· History
Maybe we just modify the thread to talk about specific location for the new franchise rather than a wider discussion on where a new location might/should be? I think they should be at Eden Park but it also makes sense to have their own full facility (training, admin etc) in tandem with the Warriors at Mt Smart or their own at NHS ( home of NZ Football). I suspect the same could be achieved at Trusts Stadium out west.MetalLegNZ
over 2 years ago· edited over 2 years ago· History
The phoenix didn't give him the opportunity after Talay left, thems the breaks. If it happens, and I'd think Foley would be after a name coach rather than Greenacre, then I'd hope the club has contractual agreements to stop Greenacre raiding our academy.
kwlapMartoMoMontoNapier Phoenix+3newzealandpower, Oi Oi Edgecumbe, theprof
over 2 years ago
What I didn’t realise is that although the name Bournemouth has been used by Foley, he wasn’t involved in the Eddie Howe years at the club.
So far his involvement has been the last year or so which has involved a change in manager that is yet to bear fruit, but does not grant much of a pedigree of management yet.
Though they did just get a win over Burnley to sneak out of the relegation zone.
In other words, the jury is very much out on how his ownership will go there.
Not sure about Greenacre. I kind of wondered why he kept getting left out as head Nix coach despite being assistant for ages. Not sure when he finally got his qualifications but you do kind of wonder about his drive and ambition. Staying at the Nix was a comfortable option. IMO he should have left the club earlier and gone after a head coach somewhere in the NZ National League or even State league in Australia. I think Foley, with the contacts he has, would look for a proven head coach. Greenacre would be a good number two though.
The phoenix didn't give him the opportunity after Talay left, thems the breaks. If it happens, and I'd think Foley would be after a name coach rather than Greenacre, then I'd hope the club has contractual agreements to stop Greenacre raiding our academy.
What sort of contracts exist which stop amateurs doing what they want?
Not sure about Greenacre. I kind of wondered why he kept getting left out as head Nix coach despite being assistant for ages. Not sure when he finally got his qualifications but you do kind of wonder about his drive and ambition. Staying at the Nix was a comfortable option. IMO he should have left the club earlier and gone after a head coach somewhere in the NZ National League or even State league in Australia. I think Foley, with the contacts he has, would look for a proven head coach. Greenacre would be a good number two though.
I think you'll probably find alot of why Greenie has stayed in Wellington with the Nix is the stability it has offered him for wife and kids. His two boys are pretty young and obviously need stability with schooling etc.
