City keen to bag Cup bases land

By BERNARD ORSMAN

Auckland City Council has the jump on developers to keep Syndicate Row at the Viaduct Harbour in public hands.

The council wants to secure the Halsey St land used for six America's Cup bases, with the idea of creating more open space and a marine stadium.

The marine stadium would be an on- and off-water facility for entertainment, yachting and other events.

The idea is not linked to secret plans for a memorial to Sir Peter Blake.

The six bases are publicly owned by the funding agency Infrastructure Auckland through a subsidiary, America's Cup Village Ltd (ACVL). Now that the cup has left Auckland, Infrastructure has no need for the land.

Developers are already turning the "log farm" at the southwestern end of the Viaduct, which was home to four syndicates, into apartments. The log farm is privately owned by Viaduct Harbour Holdings.

Auckland City recreation and events committee chairman Scott Milne said the council was talking with ACVL about the Halsey St land but it was too early to say how a deal would be structured.

"They have an imperative to get a return on the land and we have an imperative to try and create open space for Aucklanders," Mr Milne said. "Whether it is a straight-out purchase or there are some other mechanisms is still up for discussion.

"There is so little opportunity these days in our city to create open space that the council has to do everything it can to grab those opportunities when they come along."