Riaan wrote: ↑June 25, 2022, 1:24 pm
Is there any evidence that a new stadium would invigorate Civic (or any CBD for that matter) ?
IMO the best option would be to leave it where it is and renovate to include covered seating.
Evidence specific to civic stadium? That would be in the $200k feasibility study commissioned by the ACT gov I presume.
Evidence stadiums contribute to local and state economies? Yes. Plenty. Victoria's major stadia strategy and Parramatta being examples of major redevelopments/plans based on evidence around stadiums. Not a like for like fit for ACT though- nothing will be.
Will the stadium pay for itself? No. But that doesn't mean it's not worth doing. It's infrastructure- built to service a public need, in this case a better stadium and improving canberra's cbd/business/nightlife prospects.
Will it be good for civic region business. Yes.
Will it tie New Acton and civic together and improve both? Possibly.
No one can tell you wether it will or won't without seeing the plan and its implementation. But everywhere I've been with stadiums situated with "in city" stadiums -Suncorp, Adelaide, Melbourne- have worked great and I've certainly hit up local business nearby before and after and felt the experience of going to the stadium "organically" with other fans from nearby suburbs was part of it.
Whereas the experience of train/bus out to a stadium in a "dead" spot ala Bruce or Homebush is always a bit of a pain.