A new $30 million indoor sporting facility being built as part of a $80 million redevelopment project at Heretaunga in Wellington, New Zealand, will position the New Zealand Campus of Innovation and Sport (NZCIS) as a global leader in innovation and high performance sports, its developers said today.
"We can’t wait to welcome our first teams in 2021,” said developer Malcolm Gillies. NZCIS will bring national benefits and create a unique experience for sports and others.
Wellington Rugby, A-League football club the Wellington Phoenix and Baseball New Zealand have all committed to use the facility.
The first ‘’sod turning” event held today is for the new 18 metre high building that will include a 70x50 metre indoor sports field along with features such as a watt bike studio, hot and cold team plunge pools, sauna, cryotherapy chamber, 1000m2 gym and hydrotherapy pools.
The facility also has commercial grade food preparation, onsite dining and accommodation of 300+ rooms.
”I love being part of projects that enhance communities and help people grow and reach their potential,” said Gillies.
“This 17ha campus has integrated facilities that are simply not available in one convenient place in New Zealand.
This, along with the integration of innovative technology, data and physical features, will mean access to the best performance analysis. For example, our grass sports fields will also be data enabled with sensors and cameras that are built into the field’s infrastructure. This will enable measurement so that the sports codes using it can gain insights on how to best improve performance.
“Every sports team needs a heart, an identity and culture, so we’ve looked at innovative ways to enhance team identity and culture using technology that is integrated into the campus,” he said.
The project sees the repurposing of the old CIT campus into an integrated high-performance sporting campus that brings together leading-edge technology, scale, accommodation, transport links, an attractive physical environment, and prospective partners such as sports organisations, global technology providers, the armed services and universities.
Jamie Tout, a partner in the project said; “We wanted to benchmark against the best globally. We consulted with Manchester United, visited football and rugby powerhouses in Europe, the New York Yankees and the Singapore Institute of Sport to see what they are offering. We asked many sporting teams and bodies what they wanted and have incorporated that feedback into the design of this facility as well.
"The outcome is an innovative, world-leading facility right here in our back yard and privately financed. It’s inspiring actually.”
ENDS