FINE SPORTS STADIUM.

Auckland Star, Volume LX, Issue 215, 11 September 1929, Page 8

FINE SPORTS STADIUM.

WORK AT WESTERN SPRINGS, INSPECTION BY MAYOR, STARTING RELIEF WORKS. "This will be one of the finest sports arenas in the Southern Hemisphere," sak the Mayor, Mr. George Baildon, aftei paying a visit to-day in company witl the town clerk and the acting-city en irineer to the Western Springs Reserve with a view to making final arrange ments for the improvements which are t< be carried out under the unemploymem relief scheme. The Mayor expects to hear at anj moment from Wellington that the pro posed loan of £25,000 has been authorised and then the acting city engineei will put into immediate operation th< scheme of works which also include; work on the waterfront road, the levelling of the ground in front of the Wai Memorial Museum, and various roadinj extensions. "Few people realise what a wonderfu asset in the way of a sports stadiun Auckland will have when the work a: Western Springs is completed. Apan from the sporting areas, there will b( accommodation for CB,OOO people," sak the town clerk, in outlining the sehem< of works. "The stadium itself will cosi £26,100, without the grandstand. Then will be seating accommodation for ll,00( people, while another 11.000 will be able to stand on the paths, and 14,000 on th( slopes of the natural amphitheatre Standing or seated on the hillside, a further 32,000 could be accommodated Spectators from any tf these points would be able to view whatever matches or sporting events were taking place." The total amount to be expended in the scheme of relief work is £43,893, comprised as follows: waterfront roadway, £28,210; Western Springs playing are'a, £8800; Western Springs stadium cinder tracks, entrance offices, £4643; levelling of the sloping approaches to the War Memorial Museum, £2240. Of these works the City Council will receive from the Government subsidies totalling £14,645. The council has already available for the work in various loans the sum of £4180. Application has been made to the Government for authority to raise a loan of £25,200, which includes £135 as the costs incidental to the raising of the loan. No time whatever will be lost in starting the whole of the relief works as soon as the authority is forthcoming. The Marine Department has now given permission for work to be done on the waterfront road, the council's scheme consisting of formation and filling at the foot of the cliff at Gower's Point" and so giving direct communication along the waterfront between Kohimarama and St. Helier's. It is hoped that the works a3 a whole will provide employment for from 100 to 150 men. "The work at Western Springs," said the Mayor, "will provide employment not only for labourers but also for a number of tradesmen. I am desirous of seeing these works under way just as soon as it is possible to start them."