Eden Park approaches Govt for financing: CEO

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By Victor Waters of Rnz

Eden Park’s chief executive, Nick Sautner, says he approached the government to try to secure funds for the stadium update.

For Eden Park 2.1 to get off the ground, the stage one of the reconstruction plans depends on $ 110 million in public funding.

“We wrote for the sports minister to seek a conversation about the internship one and the opportunities for financing,” said Sautner.

Although he has not yet received a response from the Minister of Sport and Recreation Mark Mitchell, Sautner had talked to the National Party Caucus and presented the update plan.

“Stage 1 is based on central government investment, and these are the foundations for future north support reform and then the retractable ceiling,” Sautner said.

“Therefore, our focus is on working with the council and the government to structure an agreement by which we can bring it to life and guarantee the quarterfinals and the semifinal of the Cricket World Cup.”

Last week, Eden Park was endorsed by the Auckland Council before the proposed billion dollar stadium in billions of dollars.

Eden Park’s reconstruction plan would see the stadium’s ability to increase to 50,000 for sports matches and 70,000 for shows.

Retractable seats would be added and facilitate a fully circular limit to the cricket, while a retractable ceiling is also on the plane.

But Auckland’s advice ruled out the presentation of any taxpayer money, while first -minister Christopher Luxon distanced himself from the project.

Last week, Luxon said $ 110 million asking the stadium to represent “a very high bar for government funding” and said schools, hospitals and roads were a higher priority.

If Eden Park holds funding for stage 1, the stadium would seek private investments for stages 2 and 3.

Sautner said Eden Park 2.1 was estimated to inject $ 320 million into Auckland’s Gross Domestic Product by 2035.

“We saw with our application from the infrastructure priority program that the commercial case of stage 1 – and then until stage 3 with private investment – demonstrates a return to the government and to private companies with whom we talk about investment in the future reconstruction.

“We are open to explore all channels to bring it to life. We know with the opening of City Rail Link, there was a significant investment in this infrastructure.

“We need to take advantage of the existing infrastructure and see greater use. This has been our focus in the last five years and we will continue to do so in the next five years.

“When you look at the content in terms of music content that passed by Eden Park, it was a paradigm shift to us: 70% of today’s revenue has not been part of the business model for five years.”

If the reconstruction plan does not materialize, Sautner said New Zealand is in danger of being behind internationally at attracting major events.

“There is a definitive risk, and this is not just Auckland, which is New Zealand.

“We know that when Taylor Swift goes to Melbourne, she plays a place and the size of the market is seven million. In the future, when the main artists arrive in New Zealand, they will play with Eden Park with a capacity of 70,000.

“We have seen this in recent times with players like Coldplay or Luke Combs. We need to have a national stadium suitable for the purpose of sport, but also entertainment.”

He said the reconstruction has to happen soon.

“We want a city and a country where people want to live, stay, play and work. Having shows, having sports, having escapism that it provides, but also the job is critical to the DNA of our city.”

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