Durban's Moses Mabhida to be a year-round event
Posted 15th July 2008 at 12:57 PM by NewsTracker
Durban has planned ahead to ensure that it's R2.6 billion Moses Mabhida Stadium is not only a single code sporting facility, but a sustainable, multi-function events theatre promising to attract people 365 days a year, writes Michael Appel.
The stadium is part of a much broader economic strategy for the city where events are held at the stadium all year round.
The eThekwini Municipality has made provision for this by including various elements to the stadium, which is almost 60 percent complete.
"We have over 7 200 square meters of retail space, 160 hospitality boxes, and in the suites we have business clubs which are a completely new concept in hospitality for the country," said Julie-May Ellingson, who heads up eThekwini Municipality’s Strategic Projects Unit and 2010 Programme.
Speaking to BuaNews at the construction site of the Moses Mabhida Stadium, Ms Ellingson said these elements will ensure the stadium does not become a white elephant, but instead plays a role in the lives of people long after the 2010 FIFA World Cup matches are hosted at the stadium.
It is intended to serve a multitude of functions including rugby and football matches, motor-cross events, athletics competitions, as well as serve as a concert and special events venue.
"We will have a cable car which goes up the northern arch onto a viewing platform, and on the southern side we will have an adventure walk which has 550 stairs up onto a viewing platform where people can look out on to not only the stadium, but the ocean as well.
"What we don’t want is the [Absa rugby stadium behind us] fenced off, blocked off saying ‘stay out’ unless it is for a rugby game," Ms Ellingson said, adding that they aimed to create a people's stadium.
In terms of the global escalating cost of steel and concrete and the effect of fluctuating currencies on the stadium's budget, Ms Ellingson said when the municipality had embarked on the construction they were dealing with an exchange rate of R7.70 to the Euro.
“It has now jumped to R12.80 to the Euro, which obviously has an effect on how and what you can build. It has required us to value-engineer the stadium on a constant basis.
“We are careful, however, to make sure that we do not take shortcuts now that will cost the city five years down the line.
“You can always build something cheaper but we are not prepared to compromise on quality,” said Ms Ellingson.
The price of steel has escalated by 80 percent since 2005.
“Nobody could ever have foreseen that or foreseen an exchange rate going from R7.20 to R12.80, so it was completely unreasonable for cities to have been expected to foresee that," she said.
The R2.6 billion is a mix of funds with R300 million coming from the KwaZulu-Natal provincial government, and R1.8 billion from national government.
Ms Ellingson said the changing FIFA requirements for stadiums have also left them with a huge cost differential.
In terms flood lights alone, the change in FIFA requirements has cost over R10 million just to increase the amount of illumination or “Lux levels”.
She said while they had had a building tender for 1 500 Lux, FIFA now requires them to put in 2 000 Lux for high definition televisions.
This meant that the entire electrical system had to be upgraded at an enormous cost.
“One thinks well it’s just a whole lot of extra light bulbs, but it not that at all. There have been enormous changes since we put the stadium out for tender,” said Ms Ellingson.
This, together with the foreign exchange rates makes one realise that building a stadium is not an easy task.
However, the municipality has managed the process well.
Moses Mabhida is scheduled to host seven matches during the world cup with four in the first round, two in the second and the semi-finals.
The stadium can be upgraded to a seat capacity of 85 000, but for the world cup there will be 70 000 seats made available.
There are 54 000 permanent seats, which is the amount of seats the municipality can sustain on a weekly basis.
“We can expand or contract seats depending on the sporting event we get.”
At a certain level, the number of seats will be removed after the world cup and on the eastern side a 3 500 square meter restaurant is being built.
A conference venue will look out over the ocean.
People will also be able to walk from the beach straight to the stadium; there will also be a no-drive zone around the stadium as required by FIFA.
The stadium will have park and ride shuttle facilities Ms Ellington told BuaNews, adding that the Kings Park Railway Station was also currently being built and would be operational by 2010.
The project is currently providing employment to 2 572 people, 141 of whom are women.
Almost all are from previously disadvantaged backgrounds with little or no skills.
Construction of Moses Mabhida began on 15 January 2007 and is due for completion by August 2009, although the FIFA deadline is for October 2009. - BuaNews
The stadium is part of a much broader economic strategy for the city where events are held at the stadium all year round.
The eThekwini Municipality has made provision for this by including various elements to the stadium, which is almost 60 percent complete.
"We have over 7 200 square meters of retail space, 160 hospitality boxes, and in the suites we have business clubs which are a completely new concept in hospitality for the country," said Julie-May Ellingson, who heads up eThekwini Municipality’s Strategic Projects Unit and 2010 Programme.
Speaking to BuaNews at the construction site of the Moses Mabhida Stadium, Ms Ellingson said these elements will ensure the stadium does not become a white elephant, but instead plays a role in the lives of people long after the 2010 FIFA World Cup matches are hosted at the stadium.
It is intended to serve a multitude of functions including rugby and football matches, motor-cross events, athletics competitions, as well as serve as a concert and special events venue.
"We will have a cable car which goes up the northern arch onto a viewing platform, and on the southern side we will have an adventure walk which has 550 stairs up onto a viewing platform where people can look out on to not only the stadium, but the ocean as well.
"What we don’t want is the [Absa rugby stadium behind us] fenced off, blocked off saying ‘stay out’ unless it is for a rugby game," Ms Ellingson said, adding that they aimed to create a people's stadium.
In terms of the global escalating cost of steel and concrete and the effect of fluctuating currencies on the stadium's budget, Ms Ellingson said when the municipality had embarked on the construction they were dealing with an exchange rate of R7.70 to the Euro.
“It has now jumped to R12.80 to the Euro, which obviously has an effect on how and what you can build. It has required us to value-engineer the stadium on a constant basis.
“We are careful, however, to make sure that we do not take shortcuts now that will cost the city five years down the line.
“You can always build something cheaper but we are not prepared to compromise on quality,” said Ms Ellingson.
The price of steel has escalated by 80 percent since 2005.
“Nobody could ever have foreseen that or foreseen an exchange rate going from R7.20 to R12.80, so it was completely unreasonable for cities to have been expected to foresee that," she said.
The R2.6 billion is a mix of funds with R300 million coming from the KwaZulu-Natal provincial government, and R1.8 billion from national government.
Ms Ellingson said the changing FIFA requirements for stadiums have also left them with a huge cost differential.
In terms flood lights alone, the change in FIFA requirements has cost over R10 million just to increase the amount of illumination or “Lux levels”.
She said while they had had a building tender for 1 500 Lux, FIFA now requires them to put in 2 000 Lux for high definition televisions.
This meant that the entire electrical system had to be upgraded at an enormous cost.
“One thinks well it’s just a whole lot of extra light bulbs, but it not that at all. There have been enormous changes since we put the stadium out for tender,” said Ms Ellingson.
This, together with the foreign exchange rates makes one realise that building a stadium is not an easy task.
However, the municipality has managed the process well.
Moses Mabhida is scheduled to host seven matches during the world cup with four in the first round, two in the second and the semi-finals.
The stadium can be upgraded to a seat capacity of 85 000, but for the world cup there will be 70 000 seats made available.
There are 54 000 permanent seats, which is the amount of seats the municipality can sustain on a weekly basis.
“We can expand or contract seats depending on the sporting event we get.”
At a certain level, the number of seats will be removed after the world cup and on the eastern side a 3 500 square meter restaurant is being built.
A conference venue will look out over the ocean.
People will also be able to walk from the beach straight to the stadium; there will also be a no-drive zone around the stadium as required by FIFA.
The stadium will have park and ride shuttle facilities Ms Ellington told BuaNews, adding that the Kings Park Railway Station was also currently being built and would be operational by 2010.
The project is currently providing employment to 2 572 people, 141 of whom are women.
Almost all are from previously disadvantaged backgrounds with little or no skills.
Construction of Moses Mabhida began on 15 January 2007 and is due for completion by August 2009, although the FIFA deadline is for October 2009. - BuaNews
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