Stadium changes to be unveiled

A new model showing changes to the Awatea St stadium design will go on public display within days.

The model, prepared with input from consultants involved in design work for the stadium, is expected to show updated details and design tweaks included in the planned facility.

Cr Syd Brown, who chaired yesterday's consultants' briefing in Dunedin, confirmed the model had been prepared for public display, but said he had not seen it and declined to disclose further details before the unveiling.

Detailed explanations of design features included in the stadium also featured in a wide-ranging consultants' briefing to councillors held in Dunedin yesterday, which the Otago Daily Times was not permitted to attend.

Carisbrook Stadium Trust chief executive Ewan Soper, contacted after yesterday's briefing, said the private get-together was organised to coincide with a visit to the city by consultant staff based in other centres.

Representatives from project managers Arrow International were at the briefing, as well as architectural and turf management consultants, structural engineers and others.

Mr Soper was joined at the briefing by 10 councillors and up to 14 consultant staff.

The discussion was a chance for councillors to hear detailed explanations of key design features, such as the stadium's proposed multipurpose function and its ability to cater to a variety of events, from the experts, Mr Soper said.

"There was nothing really new in the discussion at all. It was just a chance for different people to really give feedback on most of the material that had been previously presented," he said.

Cr Brown declined to give details of yesterday's discussion, saying only the project remained "business as usual".

Crs Neil Collins, Kate Wilson and Chris Staynes all declined to discuss yesterday's briefing in detail, except to say it was positive.

"I don't think any minds were changed as a result, but it was refreshing to have good information and what I would call straight-up-and-down answers," Cr Staynes said.

Cr Dave Cull maintained "grave concerns" about the project's guaranteed $188 million pricetag and its affordability, and said the next three to four months would be "critical".

Nothing presented to councillors during yesterday's three-hour briefing had alleviated those fears, he said, "but neither did I expect it to".

"I'm still deeply concerned about that and the ongoing costs to the community," he said.

 

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