Revealed: First images of new Auckland stadium complex, Steven Adams joins all-star backers

Wednesday, 19 March 2025

Steven Adams is the latest big name to back the plan for Western Springs, joining Ali Williams, his wife, Anna Mowbray and billionaire backers.

The first video images and new details of a major new stadium and sports complex proposed for central Auckland have been released.

And it has been revealed that NBA basketball superstar Steven Adams is joining forces with All Blacks legend Ali Williams to front the plan, one of three put forward for the Western Springs Stadium site.

The Williams-Adams-fronted proposal is also backed by entrepreneur Anna Mowbray and American billionaires Bill Foley and Bennett Rosenthal.

Rosenthal owns US Major League Soccer outfit LAFC and, like Adams, Mowbray and Williams, has a stake in Auckland FC, which is majority owned by Foley.

The consortium’s flyover video shows a new 12,500-seat stadium beside a big indoor facility that would contain hospitality outlets. It also shows outdoor and covered basketball courts and courts for padel - a racket sport of Mexican origin.

The group championing the proposal to Auckland Council have targeted football, basketball and padel because they are the fastest-growing sports in the world but lack infrastructure in Auckland.

Steven Adams and Ali Williams are fronting the bid for the development with a centrepiece 12,500 capacity stadium.

The group’s proposal, seen by Stuff, says they will build this “at zero cost to the ratepayer”.

STADIUM WARS

After Stuff revealed more details about their plan, the Auckland Council body that owns Western Springs Stadium decided to confirm those, and reveal two competing bids for the site, which is less than 5km from downtown Auckland and beside the Northwestern Motorway.

Tātaki Auckland said Auckland’s Mayor Wayne Brown and Councillors were briefed on three proposals “in a confidential workshop” a week ago.

They came from a formal “expressions of interest” process, which it said was subject to “commercial confidentiality”.

The future of Western Springs Stadium is uncertain with speedway’s lease set to expire.

CRS Records Limited wants to transform the site, using private funds, into a “premier live entertainment, concert and festival venue, with capability to host cultural events, as well as community sports”. CRS is majority-owned by Campbell Smith, a high-profile music industry figure who manages and promotes major acts and events.

The historic Ponsonby Rugby Club, which is already based at Western Springs Stadium, wants to “extend its current occupancy and expand operations into other sports, and enable the venue to host 50,000-capacity concerts – by redeveloping the site with a proposal to the council for further funding”.

This proposal puts Ponsonby Rugby head-to-head with the bid from former player Williams and co, which would require the club to move.

Tātaki Auckland’s statement said one of the applicants presented to councillors last week and the other two will present next week.

Anna Mowbray has invested in Auckland FC and is part of the bid to build a multi-sport complex at Western Springs.

The council is expected to decide its preferred option for the site in early May. Aucklanders will then be invited to have their say through public consultation.

Ponsonby Rugby Club’s lease expires in 2027, while Western Springs Speedway’s venue hire agreement expires this month.

Tātaki Auckland chief executive Nick Hill says: “Aucklanders understandably have an emotional connection to Western Springs Stadium, given its memorable history as a concert and sporting venue.

“As owner-operator of the stadium on the council’s behalf, the time is right to ensure we consider what we can do to make the most of its future potential.”

The Williams-Adams-fronted plan says the international businesspeople involved are behind some of the best stadium complexes in the world.

In their proposal, Williams said: “Auckland is one of the best cities in the world, in the best country in the world. Western Springs is a core part of Auckland’s history, and we want to help continue that legacy.

“I played in this park as a kid, feeding the geese. I played football for Western Springs on that turf and went on to start my rugby career on these grounds. This is a big mission for us, it's personal and grounded in giving back.”

Williams said the Ponsonby Rugby Club - his old club - would have to move to make the stadium a reality.

“Unfortunately the project is large. It’s building from the ground up. For it to be the best it can be for the community, it must be purpose-built. We have proposed alternatives that we can see would work well for my old club, which we will help to support as everyone works through this change.”

Williams said the group wanted to double down on the success of Auckland FC, currently topping the A-League in their debut season.

“Through Auckland FC, we’ve seen that deep fandom is possible and that the people of Auckland want something to get behind. They want teams to support, places to go to connect and ways to build their own rich memories. We want to encourage this and make a home for it in a novel, progressive and dynamic fashion.”

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