Editorial: Quay Park downtown Auckland stadium proposal offers compelling proposition

The proposed new downtown stadium at Quay Park, flanked by an All Blacks hotel.

The long-running Auckland stadium debate has another twist – and it’s a compelling one.

Details of the Quay Park option, also known as Te Tōangaroa, were revealed by the Weekend Herald today and provide a fresh take on a complex issue.

The proposal goes far beyond a sporting facility, with a downtown precinct that will feature hotels, bars, restaurants, retail shops, commercial buildings and residential apartments.

At first glance, the stadium looks spectacular, with a radical sculptured design and a vista out to Rangitoto Island. It’s the kind of landmark that could become regionally and globally iconic and draw visitors to the city.

But perhaps more importantly, backers of the proposal claim the arena will be the catalyst for a complete regeneration of the eastern end of the waterfront, and the centrepiece of a new 15ha urban neighbourhood.

Aerial shot of proposed new precinct at Quay Park, featuring the downtown stadium, hotels, commerical offices, retail shops and residential space.

They assert it will lead to “transformation on a global scale”, with significant economic development for the city. That will be a paradigm shift for Auckland Council decision-makers, who have tended to see stadiums as under-used financial burdens, given the existing mix of ill-fitting venues across the isthmus.

This option is also close to the city’s biggest transport hub and many other downtown attractions, and would be an opportunity to consolidate the main sporting franchises under one roof.

There is also the elevation of the fan experience, with our current arenas rating poorly compared with what is on offer across the Tasman and beyond.

Panaromic view from inside the proposed new downtown stadium at Quay Park.

The Te Tōangaroa initiative won’t be without significant cost to local and central government but overseas precedents have shown that such downtown stadium precincts are also highly attractive to private investors, given the yields that are possible.

Off the back of competing stadium proposals at Bledisloe Wharf and Wynyard Point, Auckland Council has a trio of downtown options that will not only provide world-class sports arenas but also bring much needed energy and development to the heart of the city.