Logan Park project budget and timeline. <i>ODT</i> graphic.

A $14.6 million injection is set to transform Logan Park in Dunedin into a major metropolitan sporting hub.

The area will have new or upgraded facilities for the city's sporting codes, including a new multi-purpose artificial all-weather turf for a variety of sports, another artificial turf for football only, paid for in part by Fifa, a new hockey turf and tennis courts.

The former art gallery building could have a new life as an administration centre for Sport Otago and other regional sporting bodies.

As the park neighbours the Forsyth Barr Stadium complex, which will house the Academy of Sport and Unipol, Dunedin city councillor Bill Acklin said it would provide important spin-offs for the University of Otago, and facilities for everyone from young, elite athletes to people who just want somewhere to go and kick a ball.

The redevelopment, a plan that has been parked for some time, has been rejigged, and will come back before the council on Wednesday for approval.

Crs Paul Hudson, Acklin, John Bezett and Richard Thomson sit on the working party behind the project.

Cr Acklin said the upgrade would give Dunedin a unique area of sporting growth and excellence.

"It is going to be the envy of other centres."

The total of council funding for the work is $12.08 million, an amount already in the council's budget.

A report to next Wednesday's community development committee from parks and reserves team leader Martin Thompson said while planning was under way, an upgrade of the Union St pavilion had begun, three bays of the former art gallery building had been removed to extend the University Oval, relocation of the Academy of Sport had been organised and an upgrade of the oval completed.

Des Smith, of the Otago Secondary Schools Sports Association, had been brought in to review the plan, and he had produced a report following discussions with sporting bodies.

Mr Thompson said one of the key outcomes was an identified need for a multi-use artificial sports turf, to be located on the Highlanders training ground between the old art gallery and Butts Rd.

"The advantage of an artificial turf is to provide a high capacity, all-weather area for training and competition games."

Floodlighting would mean the turf could be used without interruption during winter and in wet weather. Mr Thompson's report said the Otago Hockey Association wanted resurfacing of the No 2 hockey turf and development of a third turf to meet growing demand within the sport.

Football South had proposed a football-only artificial sports turf, with a significant portion of the funding from Fifa as part of a worldwide introduction of artificial surfaces.

The Logan Park Tennis Foundation and Otago Tennis Association had indicated their preferred option was for courts to remain where they were, but with some surface repairs or renewal work.

The tennis association was concerned about the poor condition of the tennis centre building, and would report back to the working party with its requirements within a month.

Sport Otago has raised the idea of relocating to Logan Park as the anchor tenant in a sports house development at theformer art gallery.

Cr Acklin said a major breakthrough in negotiations was agreement with tennis representatives, who had wanted to keep 24 courts, to accept closer to 12 to 16 courts.

The other breakthrough was getting Football South on board, with its plan for an artificial turf.

The other artificial turf, as it was able to be used at all times, would replace a "massive" amount of green space capacity.

Asked if there would be as much capacity for all sports at Logan Park as there was now, Cr Acklin said there would be.

Mr Smith's report said Sport Otago was considering having office space in the stadium, but having a "centre of sport" at Logan Park had significant benefits.

Cr Acklin said if the report was approved, the working party still had plenty of work to do, but the timetable, shown in the graphic above, suggested for the work were "absolutely" possible.

- david.loughrey@odt.co.nz