The remnants of the old Green Point Athletics Stadium, A-Track and club houses – some of which were either partially or completely demolished for the construction of the Cape Town Stadium – will soon be transformed into a completely revamped 5 500-seater, IAAF standard, multi-use Athletics Stadium, complete with new clubhouses and change rooms, as well as an upgraded A-Track. This project forms an integral part of the new Green Point Urban Park.
Previously: Green Point Athletics Stadium: Another sad case of short term thinking
Several issues have not been considered;
- Have the WP Athletics Federation supported this venue as the premier location for athletics?
- Why will the venue not include IAAF approved lights for night events? Is this not simply to pacify the usual ratepayer moans and groans.
- Do synergies exist with sports federations for the inclusion of this venue as part of a High Performance Plan or Centre?
- Can the venue easily be expanded for future national and major events? Seating 6,000, how will this venue seat 20,000 or 40,000 in future?
- Should we not commission a site selection study to determine the best site for a long term athletics venue for Cape Town?
- With the cost estimated at R70 million (likely double), should we not be investing in a long term vision for an athletics venues rather than a quick-fix solution to satisfy a ROD, known to all as being flawed.
- Given the steep gradient of the first tier, is an expansion even possible, and does the existing grandstand lend itself to an enclosed bowl?
- How does the investment in this old structure support a major events strategy?
- Given the constrained spatial parameters of the site, is the City of Cape Town committing to building a different athletics stadium for larger events?
- Have the experiences of other cities in building an athletics venue(s) been considered?
