First concrete pour underway at Christchurch Metro Sports Facility

Work has commenced on the foundations for the new Christchurch Metro Sports Facility, with the first major concrete pour taking place on Tuesday 24th September.

The Metro Sports Facility is expected to open in early 2022. It will include a 10-lane competition pool, a large diving pool, five hydroslides, a warm water pool/spa/sauna/steam room, multi-purpose indoor courts, an aquatic sensory space and high-performance sports centre.

New Zealand Minister for Greater Christchurch Regeneration Megan Woods advised that 1100 metre3 of concrete had been poured for the foundations of the site.

Minister Woods advised "this is the first of around a half a dozen large concrete pours that will create the foundation for the largest sport and recreation venue of its kind in New Zealand.

“It’s great to see to a procession of more than 200 truckloads of concrete arriving on site.

“The Metro Sports Facility will cover an area about the size of two rugby fields and require around 16,000 metre3 of concrete and 3700 tonnes of structural steel to build, making it one of the largest projects in central Christchurch.

“Once all of the foundations are poured, people travelling along Moorhouse Avenue and St Asaph Street will start seeing the structural steel going up early next year.

Minister Woods added: "this is great news for the local economy. Over 300 people are expected to be working on the Metro Sports Facility at the height of construction, so it will be a hive of activity before the doors even open to sport and recreation enthusiasts.”