The public should not base comments about the Molyneux Park redevelopment on "grandiose plans" costing up to $14 million, a meeting in Alexandra heard last night.
The public meeting about options for redeveloping the 28ha park was chaired by Vincent Community Board chairwoman Clair Higginson and attended by 22 people.
Alexandra resident and Alexandra Tennis Club representative Santilal Parbhu was worried people would react to the most expensive option for the park revamp.
"The grandiose plan costing $14 million - that's just crazy," Mr Parbhu told the meeting.
A series of designs was unveiled to sports groups at the end of January, options costing from $4.2 million to $14 million-plus.
They included the construction of a new sports "hub" and indoor sports hall and relocating the existing netball and tennis courts.
The concept plans, prepared by Beca Carter Hollings, were for a staged redevelopment.
Initially, the focus was on upgrading Molyneux Stadium.
However, the building would cost too much to bring it up to standard, so it would be "abandoned" in favour of rebuilding a new sports hub, Ms Higginson said.
More than 30 groups, mostly sports clubs, use the park.
The stadium building is a venue for indoor sports and used by nearby Dunstan High School as a gymnasium, but the school is building its own gymnasium on school grounds.
Ms Higginson said the plans for the park were like a menu: "You can pick bits off it."
The Central Otago District Council's long-term council community plan had earmarked $162,000 for landscaping the entranceway to the park in the coming year.
Submissions close on May 4.
No timeframe had been set for the rest of the work, Ms Higginson said.
It would depend on submissions received.
Tony Hollows, of Alexandra, asked what priority the project would have compared with the upgrade of the town's water supply.
Vincent Community Board member Tony Lepper said it was up to residents and ratepayers to let the board know what priority they thought the park redevelopment should be given.
