Christchurch sporting facilities now back on track
Christchurch sporting facilities now back on track
Joint work between the Government and Christchurch City Council means plans for two critical central city Anchor Projects – the Metro Sports Facility and multi-purpose stadium - are back on track, Minister Megan Woods has announced.
“We are pleased that the budget blowout on the Metro Sports Facility we inherited has been brought into line and that plans for the stadium can now be fast tracked.
“Just a few months ago when this Government came to office, there were big problems with the plan for sporting anchor projects in the central city. The Metro Sports Facility was due to open in 2016 but was still just an empty lot – we were facing a $75 million cost blowout on its contract and there was still no certainty on the shape or cost of Christchurch’s stadium.
“I’m proud to say that we’ve been able to work quickly and closely with the Christchurch City Council to put things right.
“I’m thrilled to announce that Ōtākaro has completed the detailed design of the Metro Sports Facility, and is now ready to go to market to confirm the final cost of the project. Through a combination of changes to the procurement approach and to the final design, the estimated cost of the project has been reduced by more than $50 million. That means this long awaited facility is on track to open by the end of 2021 – the timeline we gave in November last year.
“The detailed design work completed by Ōtākaro has removed cosmetic elements of the design that were adding significant cost. This has allowed savings not only in the cost of construction but also the ongoing operating cost which will be borne by ratepayers.
“The Government and
council have also worked together to fast-track work on the
stadium to the point where work can begin on a detailed
business case. Obviously, the details will be subject to
that business case but we foresee a roofed stadium that will
allow the city to host major rugby test matches and other
significant sports and entertainment events.
“Council
now has the option to consider as part of its Long Term Plan
deliberations bringing timelines on the stadium forward.
That means Christchurch is closer than ever to having a
permanent stadium.
“A clear future for both of these
projects will also provide welcome certainty for inner city
businesses who can now make investment decisions knowing
these projects are coming and are back on track.
“I want to thank officials at Ōtākaro and the Christchurch City Council for their excellent co-operation over the last few months. Most of all I want to thank Sport Canterbury who have been integral to finally getting a way for Canterbury get the facilities it needs. Together, we’ve been able to get real progress on projects that have been struggling and add a big boost of momentum to the recovery of our central city,” said Megan Woods.
MSF Changes Fact
Sheet
Inclusions:
• 10
lane 50m competition pool plus operable 1.5m wide
boom;
• 1000 aquatic spectator seats;
• 20m x
25.4m diving pool;
• Aquatic leisure
facility;
• Five hydroslides;
• Learn to swim
pool;
• Warm water pool/spa/sauna/steam
room;
• Birthday party room;
• Multipurpose indoor
courts with capacity for nine netball courts and other
indoor sports codes;
• 2500 retractable spectator seats
in the Show Court;
• Gym/weights facility;
• Group
fitness rooms;
• Allied health
facilities;
• Performance movement
centre;
• Aquatic sensory space;
• High
performance sports centre with facilities for coaching and
training;
• Sports House – shared administration area
for regional sport;
• Facility administration
areas;
• VIP and media areas;
• Café and
supporting and satellite F&B facilities; and
• Facility
parking.
Deletions and design changes:
• More affordable finishes
inside and outside building (e.g. replace bluestone with
tile or concrete)
• Delete south entrance
canopy
• Reduce areas of skylights and
glazing
• Reduce architectural features of buildings
(e.g. fins on façade, northern canopy etc.)
• Aquatic
sensory space to be fitted out by other funding
sources
• Childcare facility not considered
necessary/not required at this time due to other community
and commercial centres likely to be nearby.
• External
sports activation and multi-use games area
• Compact
car parking to smaller area