We asked Hamish Clark, the Herald's head of news for the South Island, to swing by this morning ahead of the big vote to answer your questions.
First, some FAQs:
What's the proposal?
After Lancaster Park was damaged by the 2010 and 2011 quakes, a plan for a new covered arena was put forward by a Government panel in 2012, with both local and central Government footing the bill.
Called Te Kaha, the arena has a capacity of 30,000 and would be used not only for sports matches but concerts, trade shows and expos.
How much will it cost?
The original projected cost was $470m, then it became $533m, and now Christchurch City Council has revealed the proposed design has blown its budget again - pushing the cost to $683m. There are no guarantees that's the final price.
In 2021, the council decided to slash the stadium's capacity by 5000 to 25,000 in response to the rising cost - then did a U-turn after a public outcry.
What are the arguments for?
In the years since Lancaster Park closed its gates, the city's much-loved Crusaders have kept Christchurch their home, playing at a temporary stadium in Addington, but many other events including international music acts have skipped the garden city in favour of larger venues elsewhere in the country. Clearly, a covered, multi-use stadium would put Christchurch back on the events map.
The Crusaders have been pushing the concept hard - chief executive Colin Mansbridge has implored the council to deliver on its stadium promise, saying stopping was not an option and re-evaluating the project wouldn't be much better.
What are the arguments against?
Cost, mostly. Christchurch city and its satellite towns are expected to grow by 150,000 people by 2048, according to the latest Statistics NZ projections. Some business leaders and politicians are concerned about a lack of spending and planning on transport, housing and water infrastructure.
For some, a $683m covered stadium isn't at the top of the priority list.
Who decides?
Christchurch City Council will vote on next steps on Thursday. The options are: invest the additional $150m to enable the project to continue as planned; stop the project altogether; or pause and re-evaluate the project.
• Thanks for your questions and comments. We've closed submissions so Hamish can get back to reporting. We'll have full coverage of the council's decision about the proposed stadium on Thursday.
