Auckland Council has this afternoon endorsed a staged redevelopment of Eden Park — deciding against a downtown stadium.
However, the council stopped short of backing a full upgrade to the current Mt Eden stadium.
The decision — passed by 17 votes to 2 this afternoon — gave the council a mandate to begin discussions with central Government on the future of a “main stadium” for New Zealand.
Following the meeting, Mayor Wayne Brown said the chosen option wouldn’t be funded by the ratepayer and was contingent on Eden Park Trust “funding a business case and working with council staff to provide the best public value for Aucklanders”.
“We’ll move ahead with an investment framework that ensures future decisions across the stadium network are coordinated, strategic and works for Aucklanders. We expect to be in a much stronger position as a result.”
In September 2023, Auckland Council sought expressions of interest for a new or upgraded stadium.
Eden Park and Te Tōangaroa/Quay Park were asked to provide feasibility studies in May last year within six months, with council officials examining each prior to the vote and weighing up the pros and cons.
The key finding of the council’s review of these studies were that neither proponent had demonstrated the proposal was feasible “without significant public funding”.
The upgrade to Eden Park, dubbed Eden Park 2.1, would occur in three stages.
Stage 1 would be a redevelopment of the lower north stand with retractable seating, followed by the second stage, a redevelopment of the upper north stand with potential additions such as a hotel or student accommodation.
Stage 3 involved the installation of a retractable roof.
Te Tōangaroa/Quay Park proposed a new 15ha urban neighbourhood bordered by Spark Arena and Quay St, on Ngāti Whātua land, in the old Auckland Railways yard.
The central focus of the development was a 50,000 seat stadium with a unique design that invokes Auckland’s isthmus and cultural heritage. It had been designed with an “accordion” style retractable roof that means that it could host anything from rugby games to concerts.
Councillors were presented with five options at today’s vote:
- Decline to endorse either proposal
- Endorse Eden Park 2.1
- Endorse Te Tōangaroa
- Invite both proponents to submit business cases
- Endorse the staged development of Eden Park, but not the whole Eden Park 2.1 project.
Ultimately, the council advice found Eden Park 2.1, in its entirety, was “not currently financially feasible” and would require additional money.
The Eden Park Trust welcomed the council decision. Trust board chair Kereyn Smith said it was important for Auckland and the future of the country’s “national stadium”.
“Today’s decision is a pivotal step toward securing the long-term future of Eden Park as New Zealand’s national stadium. The staged approach gives us the certainty to plan, the flexibility to deliver, and the ability to respond to the needs of Aucklanders and New Zealanders alike.”
Eden Park CEO Nick Sautner said the outcome reflected strong support for a financially responsible and environmentally sustainable solution for Auckland and New Zealand.
“It makes the most of existing infrastructure, leverages the City Rail Link which opens in 2026, and delivers social, cultural, and economic benefits quickly and at scale.”
Hospitality NZ Chief Executive Steve Armitage said the decision provided clarity for the future of Eden Park, which was an important economic driver for hospitality and accommodation businesses in the region.