Brent Eccles: Eccles Entertainment founder on Auckland Arena pulling out of Western Springs project

A group planning a concert venue at Auckland's Western Springs want council approval to get on with it. 

A different bid recommended by council staff - for an arena backed by Auckland FC rich-listers - has been withdrawn.

The council says more assessment's needed to find a path forward. 

Eccles Entertainment Founder Brent Eccles says he's thrilled the competition's pulled out. 

He says his group remains the obvious choice. 

"I believe that we're kind of in the box seat now, there were only two expressions of interest that were accepted - from us to build a proper concert bowl."

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
Now.

Speaker 2 (00:00):
Consultation Bioukland Council took place fourteen thousand submissions rich listers
twenty percent supported their idea, thirty three percent apparently supported
exploring new ideas, and behind that at thirty percent was
the development of a concert bowl. And Brent eccles is
co founder of Ecles Entertainment and the concert Bowl option champion.

(00:21):
He's on the show. Hey Brent, Hello, Ryan Good. What
are your reckon's going on here?

Speaker 1 (00:28):
Well, council did recommend so that the stadium people did
recommend to council that they go with the AFC proposal,
So something's gone on there. I don't know what it is,
but I'm thrilled. I mean I didn't want it anyway.
I want to keep Western springs of the concert venue.

Speaker 2 (00:48):
So you'd be absolutely delighted with this. Then, although it
doesn't mean that your home and host, does it, I
mean there's still a long way to go.

Speaker 1 (00:56):
No, it doesn't mean a home and a Hoseand it
does mean we have a festival and at a usable
site for the foreseeable future, and soccer can plain anywhere.
There's plenty of plenty of stadiums that can host soccer.
In fact, go media amounts. That's probably where they belong.
I don't know.

Speaker 2 (01:13):
So what happens now.

Speaker 1 (01:16):
Well, I believe that we're kind of in a box
seat now. There were only two expressions of interests that
were accepted from there and from us to build a
proper concert bowl like a sound stage there in in
the stadium. So I think it's up to us now
to get our skates on and we're ready to go.

Speaker 2 (01:38):
Well, good luck, Brent. Do you how much how much
does your package, your your bowl cost taxpayers and ratepayers?
Do you have an idea?

Speaker 1 (01:49):
Uh, well, I'm not going to give you that figure,
but we'll be private, private, private that would do it.

Speaker 2 (01:56):
Private money would do it. Yes, So we could get
a bowl for nothing.

Speaker 1 (02:04):
Yes, that's right, won't cost of taxpayers anything. But in
doing that, don't think about the Ponsoly Rugby Club. And
there's in in our proposal there is money there for
the pons Rabu Clil to build a new a new
stand and new and new changing rooms on the other
side of the bowl, which is which I believe has

(02:26):
been approved.

Speaker 2 (02:27):
Right, and that would be funded by who taxpayer?

Speaker 1 (02:32):
Player?

Speaker 2 (02:32):
Aucander's right thanking all right, someone's got to pay.

Speaker 1 (02:39):
When you need to pay with money? Will you pay
with you know, with your psyching, you know, And I
think it's really good for you. Count not everything's dollars,
do you know. There's part of psychology and part of
it having something good for the orchaners to do it.
I think it's a real good thing for them to do,
a good thing to have.

Speaker 2 (02:54):
Brent appreciate your time this afternoon. Thank you. Bring Ecles,
co co founder of Equals Entertainment. For more from Hither
Duplessy Allen Drive, listen live to news Talks at b
from four p m. Weekdays, or follow the podcast on
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