Plans to redevelop Auckland’s historic Western Springs Stadium into a football-specific venue have been shelved, with Auckland Football Club’s high-profile ownership group withdrawing its proposal for the Auckland Arena project.
The consortium—comprised of entrepreneur Anna Mowbray, her husband and former All Black Ali Williams, NBA player Steven Adams, and American billionaire Bill Foley—confirmed this week that they were exiting the council-led process to determine the future use of the iconic site. The group cited the complexities of developing on public land as the key reason for pulling out.
“Despite our deep commitment and experience, the process of delivering such a project on public land in Auckland has presented unique challenges,” Auckland FC said in a statement. “With extended timelines and complexities, we have regretfully withdrawn our proposal.”
The Auckland Arena proposal was one of three options considered in a recent public consultation run by Auckland Council’s economic and cultural agency, Tātaki Auckland Unlimited (TAU). The stadium’s future has been hotly contested, attracting nearly 15,000 public submissions.
TAU chief executive Nick Hill told reporters the withdrawal was disappointing: “The evaluation panel and our board had deemed it the most positive solution for Auckland.”
Western Springs Stadium, situated in central Auckland and originally built in the 1920s, has long served as a flexible venue. Over the decades it has hosted everything from international music acts like The Rolling Stones and Bob Marley to New Zealand’s historic speedway racing, which has run there for over 90 years. It has also been used for rugby and other community events.
However, its infrastructure is ageing, and debate has intensified over how best to modernise the site. Auckland FC’s bid had proposed a 12,500-seat football stadium, alongside futsal and indoor basketball facilities, and stronger links to Western Springs Park and Auckland Zoo. The project formed part of the club’s long-term strategy to cement its place in the A-League, after debuting in the competition in October 2024 at Mount Smart Stadium.
Despite TAU favouring the Arena plan, public feedback revealed no clear consensus. Thirty-three percent of submissions supported “other ideas,” such as reinstating speedway, while 30% backed the “Western Springs Bowl” proposal—an initiative led by CRS Records for a boutique stadium and live music venue. Auckland Arena drew support from 21 per cent of submitters, while 16% preferred the status quo.
Councillor Shane Henderson told RNZ the Arena group’s sudden exit “poisoned the well” of public engagement. “To find out on the day consultation feedback was released that one of the main options had been pulled—it’s deeply frustrating,” he said.
TAU had been expected to recommend a preferred proposal to the council by 31 July, but that process has now been deferred until after Auckland’s local government elections in October. Newly elected councillors will be presented with updated advice in the next term.
For now, the future of Western Springs Stadium—one of the city’s most storied venues—remains up in the air.
About The Author
