There are renewed calls to build a stadium in Auckland's CBD to replace Eden Park -- 10 years after talks about a potential shift first began.
Auckland Council wants to use the stadium to host sports matches as well as concerts and other events, and the proposal has received support from some Auckland mayoral candidates.
Regional Facilities Auckland (RFA) is reheating the idea of a CBD venue for rugby league, football games, and major concerts.
"The city does need to think longer term and what it does from a stadium perspective, and it needs to have that discussion around 'is it right to build a new stadium in the city? Is it right to reinvest in Eden Park?'" says RFA chief executive officer Chris Brooks.
It was a major talking point 10 years ago when then sports minister Trevor Mallard offered up more than $500,000 to build the stadium for the 2011 Rugby World Cup.
Auckland's authorities rejected the idea, opting instead to upgrade Eden Park.
But the historic rugby ground's residential location places limits on how it can be used.
Mayoral candidate Phil Goff is backing the CBD stadium idea.
"Obviously with Eden Park it's not suitable, it can only be used for a limited number of events at night and what we want for Auckland, which will grow by 700,000, is a national facility," he says.
Fellow candidate Mark Thomas also thinks the conversation needs to start now.
Prime Minister John Key can't see how it would get over the line but he does like the idea.
"The problem you've got now is I think it just looks so much harder to do. We've invested nearly the best part of a couple of hundred million into Eden Park. You've to get agreements from the different codes to use it and you'd have to secure the land," he says.
A decade ago the stadium was estimated to cost just fewer than $500 million.
RFA says it's got no idea what it would cost to build it now, or who would foot the bill, it simply wants to start the conversation.
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