$40-45 Million Soccer Specific Stadium - Petone Phoenix

Gareth to lay on a dedicated Phoenix Ferry Service to Petone Wharf.

A boutique stadium on Soames Island.

Spartacus: one of the enslaved repressed raging against a tyrranical oligarchy.

I thought they couldn't put lights there because of the Zoo ages ago.  has this changed or is it just being ignored?

People went to Athletic park didn't they? Once it is bit, it will become a new normal and people will forget what they were moaning about.

I was initially against the stadium in Petone idea but I've come around now. However I think that it's still wildly optimistic in terms of time frames especially, but also perhaps with the budget as well. Resource consent will take a long time and given the size of the  gentrified residential areas nearby any decision in favour of getting the stadium built will be fought to through the courts as long as possible by disgruntled homeowners who will hate the idea on principle. So I don't think that a couple of years is doable. On top of that, the construction industry is in a state of high demand presently because of the Christchurch rebuild so that could mean delays and/or higher costs too. 

I'd still far rather see a rebuild on the current stadium site and an upgrade of the Basin but there's absolutely no political will to get those done.

Perhaps we should hold off for 9 or 10 years, use that time for Gareth to develop a personal friendship with Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani, and then after the 2022 World Cup maybe we can get a free stadium from the Qataris?

And the novelty factor will tide us over in terms of attendance until it becomes normal. 

Strangely, it may also create a novelty factor for the games we DO have at westpac stadium, and mean those 'big' games are better attended than they are now. 

There's a perfectly good 12k stadium in Napier...

Lies

Once had zookeepers wandering through while we warmed up with massive nets looking for an escaped wallaby.

We've had an animal escape it's a big Tig...er... Wallaby.  It's a Wallaby mate.

arf!

Could we cut it into sections and truck it down to Petone?  Prob over the Rimutakas rather than through the Manawatu Gorge.

Beat me to it, why not have the smaller stadium next to Westpac? Just throwing it out there. In Aussie they often have two stadia close together, also Dundee United and Dundee are an example. Still I'd love the Petone one to go ahead.

Some of these please Gareth...

Still struggling to see this as anything but a negotiating tactic.

So, how windy does PetRec get?  That stadium looks pretty open to the elements.  A nice little wind funnel down the sides of the end stands? Not so long ago people were suggesting we needed a roof on the 'Tin to improve conditions.  Now we want to go back to something potentially like the howling refrigerator that Athletic Park used to be?  

But the first question is genuine, I don't get out there that often.

Will the new stadium have a roof?

It should be just like Forsyth Barr (although not sure if that has seating on all 4 sides)

I'm a hundred million thousand times behind this, as people have said it could be an absolute game changer. I just don't see any way that it gets off the ground. For any number of reasons. Mainly the politics of it all.

Seen a lot of people talk about public transport and the like, not much discussion re parking. Parking around the Rec was pretty tough on a day that the four Rugby fields were getting used for club rugby, have they talked about developing further parking infrastrucure?

Other interesting element would be around any tie in with the proposed redevelopment they were talking about of the PWMC, they wanted to turn that into a major conference/events things a few years ago. Not sure if it is still the plan.

A few years back the PWMC had planning approval for a hotel complex on the adjacent land (cnr of Udy and Bouverie) which seems to have stalled for whatever reason (am pretty sure they had planning approval so it may have been financial).

I emailed Gareth last night (well he did say on the poddy he was keen to hear from fans) suggesting he/they (Welnix/HCC?) do what they can to get alongside the PWMC and PRFC as they are both key strategic stakeholders, both in the sense of their location, and the RFC being a key user of the rec. Most importantly, both organisations have high visibility and influence across the local community, getting them on-board with the benefits of the proposal to both the rec and the wider community would be a massive boost.

Not sure about those dog-walkers tho...

There is a meeting of Nimbys on Monday night which I might head along to and just soak up their Nimbyness.

I don't post much (hence establishing my support credentials shortly as some have seem to linked low posts with low support) but have been reading and just want to add my own opinion.

I have been to every nix game at home at Westpac (except one when I had to be at hospital) plus Palmy and Napier. 

I work shifts so to achieve this I have to take leave, swap or work 16 hour days (as I did last Saturday so I could go on Sunday for the Heart debacle), that's football.

People who want to support the nix will go to the games.  The improved match day experience at a proper football ground will be well worth the inconvenience of the travel for those identified in previous posts.  No one who has had it easier wants it made harder but I think they wont care after the opening game there. The regular fan will be rewarded with a much better place to watch and the casual will be more likely to return after having a much better time.  I am sure busses and trains or shuttles can be arranged form the stadium or other points.  Special busses from the city to the venue would be cheap and easy and there are years to work these things out.

Not only will the be saving money on Westpac they will be making money of the stadium itself through ancillary profits on game day, plus I believe the average attendance will increase.  There will be a regular stream on income to the nix through other uses of the stadium as outlined many times in previous posts.  As the owner's want the club to be self sustaining this means better players and marquee players that are not a reality at the moment may become more likely.

The consents needed are only for redevelopment as there is already a sports ground there.  Hutt city council may well back down on the money they pump in but this was always intended in typical political fashion the will cut back the amount to say they listened to the ratepayers but the cut will be back to the original amount they intended anyway.  Welnix are not stupid where money is concerned they will have this costed out to the last dollar and the money needed is not daunting to this group.

As players were saying on the news last night the improved atmosphere would give them a huge boost.

It will mean less games having to be taken away.  When Welnix took over it was stated they did it for Wellington, which has been questioned by some as they have taken games away.  Well here is a big investment in making the team a success in Wellington.  I know its not the "CITY" but some 15 minutes away.  This is more common world wide with new stadia being increasingly built out of CBd's.  For example the New York Giants and New York Jets don't even play in their own state but in New Jersey. The fans don't say it's not New York, they just go and watch their team because that's where they play.

Petone business will adapt and welcome separting the nix fan and his money, of that we can be certain.  Ideally people will travel early (not turn up 5 minutes before kick off as on Sunday) and spend their money at the bars and eateries at the ground.

I hope this does happen as I think it is the start of a great step forward.

Jeeze there goes your credibility. Who gets sick on game day!?

Just kidding. Great post. Agree 100%.

Bring back standing terraces !

I was fit and well, my Mum was having a heart attack.

I remember that game where News got food poisoning from Tulsi and had to miss a home game.