Conceived in 2014 as a legacy project after Dunedin hosted matches during the 2015 Fifa under-20 World Cup, Football South has spent the intervening years raising more than $3 million towards building the pitches.
Crossing the $3 million barrier meant it could apply for money from the Lotteries Significant Project Fund, and confirmation on Thursday of a $890,000 grant from that source meant the money was in place to make the project a reality.
"It’s a big thing for the federation and it’s a big thing for community sport as well," Football South chairman Matthew Holdridge said.
While Football South has driven the project, other sports will use the pitches.
Chief executive Chris Wright expected the two pitches would receive constant use, and floodlighting would mean use at night.
"We can’t wait to get started. It’s going to make such a difference to sport in this city right from the grass-roots to the elite level," Mr Wright said.
"The best problem that we could have is that there will be so much demand for them, and there will be agreements between the sports and council to make sure use is balanced across the sports.
"We can schedule games on week nights, we can have games early in the morning, and we can fit lots of smaller-sized pitches on the big area and have lots of games going on at the same time, so it opens up lots of opportunities."
As captain of national football league team Southern United, as well as a youth team coach and football development officer, Conor O’Keeffe will be a regular user of the facility, which he said would be a game-changer for the sport in Dunedin.
Funding for the project has come from:
• Dunedin City Council ($1 million).
• Fifa/Football South. NZ Football $420,000.
• Otago Community Trust $760,000.
• McMillan Trust $130,000.
• Lotteries Community Facilities $500,000.
• Lion Foundation $175,000.
• Sir Eion Edgar via NZ Football Foundation $50,000.
• The Highlanders $15,000;• Lotteries Significant Project Fund $890,000.
It had been intended to build the pitches sooner but the project ran into problems over rising costs and delays due to geotechnical issues.
Building work will begin in September, the first earthworks being in October.
It is expected the pitches should be available for play in March, when the next football season starts.
"It’s loosely modelled on Memorial Park in Masterton, which is a dual rugby and football surface," Mr Wright said.
"It will be a multipurpose surface which is both IRB [International Rugby Board] and Fifa certified and will be really high quality — people will really enjoy it."
