It’s one of New Zealand’s largest indoor sports centres, and the Taradale facility is now open and ready to transform sport in Hawke’s Bay.
The $20 million Rodney Green Foundation Arena, built by Apollo Projects next to the existing Pettigrew Green Arena, triples the number of courts available on Gloucester St.
There’s an additional six basketball and netball courts, 12 volleyball courts and three futsal courts inside the 5900sq m space.
Just how much of a shortage of indoor facilities in the region there was is clear. The facility was 90 per cent booked for the year before it even opened on Thursday.
The two arenas will be collectively known as the Rodney Green Arenas.
According to the Regional Indoor Sports & Events Centre Trust, the new facility is the equal-largest indoor basketball centre in New Zealand, the largest volleyball centre and the equal-largest futsal centre.
Regional Indoor Sports & Events Centre Trust (Risec) chairman Craig Waterhouse said there was strong demand in Hawke’s Bay for indoor court space, and a massive shortage of it as basketball, volleyball, netball, futsal and badminton had all experienced significant growth.
“This is reinforced by the fact that although we have tripled the court space with the new arena, it’s already at 90 per cent booking capacity for 2023, and we have also seen a 270 per cent increase in the use of the current three-court arena,” Waterhouse said.
Waterhouse said 90 per cent of regular users of the facilities at the Rodney Green Arenas are under the age of 19, with 30 per cent aged from three to 11 years old.
The build received a $6.7m grant from the Covid-19 Response and Recovery Fund, $4.1m from Napier City Council, $2m from Hastings District Council and $3m from New Zealand Lotteries Significant Project Fund.
Hawkes Bay Today
