By PETER JESSUP
Serious remodelling has begun at the Warriors home ground, with owner the Auckland Regional Council promising Ericsson Stadium will continue to have the best turf in the NRL and that the new facilities will make it the best football venue in the country.
Mad Butcher Peter Leitch was yesterday given control of a 45-tonne excavator with concrete crunching jaws, to rip through the lounge where he hosts after-game parties. They will move to a building nearby while construction continues through next season.
By the first game next year, 4000 uncovered seats will have been put in place, 8m closer to the east sideline than at present.
Construction will continue through the season to complete team training and management facilities beneath that.
Once the 2004 season is over the remaining seating and roof will be finished.
The $23.6 million project will provide 6000 covered seats and 2000 uncovered. The orange plastic seating from the stand will be set around the north end, the covering from the America's Cup basin is to envelop the south end and the new stand on the east side will increase seated capacity from 21,500 to 25,000.
The ARC has provided start-up money from profits made on Ericsson Stadium and will borrow $21 million, repayable over 15 years, to finance the rest. The Warriors are signed in for 15 years.
The budget was based on returns averaged over the Warriors' last eight years of operation, when at times crowds sank as low as 3300.
Lately, they have been about 20,000.
ARC parks committee chairman Bill Burrill promised no cost to ratepayers.
The project figures have been checked by Audit New Zealand.
Warriors building project manager Spiro Tsiros said ticket prices would not soar as a result.
The development allows for eight more corporate boxes, plus a bank of 800 corporate seats, sold one by one but with lounge, dining and bar available.
Rugby League: Warriors' home ground starts $23m makeover
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