Tauranga will be the recipient of new indoor courts on Cameron Rd after council announced this month it has purchased The Warehouse building as part of its Memorial Park redevelopment.

Tauranga City Council announced in December that Memorial Park would undergo a $128m upgrade including adding a new aquatic centre to the site at an cost of $122.25 million – and that the park’s indoor courts in the Queen Elizabeth Youth Centre would be built at another location in the city at a cost of $25m.

Tauranga City Council acting chief executive Paul Davidson says the sale of The Warehouse building at 483 Cameron Road went unconditional on January 31 – and that he anticipates the new facility will be up and running later this year, which will coincide with the decommissioning of the QEYC building which includes Memorial Hall.

“The Warehouse building will be able to accommodate four basketball size courts along with changing facilities, associated storage and office space and, 220 existing carparks.”

Paul says council will take possession of the property in early June when the work turning the building into indoor courts begins.

Existing facilities ageing

Council and Bay Venues have together for several years been planning for new indoor court and aquatic facilities at Memorial Park to replace the existing ageing facilities.

Funding for this was adopted in the last Long Term Plan.

Paul says while the original plan was to upgrade the QEYC building, it is nearing the end of its serviceable life and would require a significant upgrade.

“Recent building reports have indicated earthquake risk and structural issues will significantly increase project costs, meaning the best course of action is to demolish the old building – including Memorial Hall – and develop a new facility.

“At a total estimated cost of $25m, including the purchase of the property and fit-out of the space as indoor courts, this will be more cost effective than building a new building for indoor courts in Memorial Park.”

Paul says council is on target to have the new courts available by the end of 2024 to allow limited or no downtime between closing the existing courts at QEYC.

User group engagement 

Bay Venues Chief Executive Chad Hooker says staff have been working closely with key indoor court user groups to keep them informed of plans and will engage with them further as the design of the new facility is finalised.

“In addition to this project council and Bay Venues are currently investigating other new indoor court opportunities over the next three to five years to cater to growth.”

Chad says as New Zealand’s fastest-growing city “it’s important Tauranga has facilities that can best cater to the needs of our growing population”.

Paul says the new indoor facility, and how Memorial Park is used in future, is being considered within the wider context of all council’s other reserves, parks, recreational and aquatic centres.

“It forms part of broader plans to work with the community and sports organisations to make our community spaces better and use the spaces we have in the best way possible.

“The Mount Sports Centre, as an old one-court facility, will close and be demolished within the next three years as part of improvements to Blake Park and will allow development of more space for field sports at the park,” says Paul.

Construction on the new Memorial Park Aquatic Centre, approved by the Commission late last year, will commence after demolition of the QEYC and is expected to open in late-2027.