An extra public meeting on Green Point Common itself has been added in the current public consultation process which, thus far, has shown a positive response to the proposed sports and recreation precinct envisaged for the Common.

The meeting will be held at the Hellenic Club from 19:00 to 21:30 on Monday, 14 May.

Halfway through the meeting series due to end on 25 May, residents have given constructive comments and suggestions on the proposed site develop plan for the 85 ha Common. The new multi-purpose 68 000 stadium and its precinct will take up only 18 hectares. This will leave the rest of the green space for the development of a centralized sports complex of playing and practice fields plus club facilities.

The proposed design also provides for a public network and pedestrian walkways linking the Common with the historic Fort Wynyard and the Atlantic seafront boulevard and beachfront past the Mouille Point lighthouse. All the existing sports codes, athletics, rugby, soccer, cricket, bowls, golf and tennis will be catered for. The public network and sports codes together make up the Green Point Urban Park.

The investment of R2,85 billion by all three spheres of government in the new stadium provides a cash injection to rejuvenate the Common, parts of which have been neglected for years. The stadium, a match and semi-final venue for World Cup 2010, could be used for ball sports, music concerts and major events post 2010. Some 13 000 seats will be removed from the top third tier of the stadium after World Cup leaving commercial space and a viable 55 000 seater stadium.

The City has made a capital budget provision of R120 million for the redevelopment of Green Point Common.

The tender process for a successful and experienced long term operator for the stadium as a self-funding commercial venture after 2010 is underway. Eighteen interested parties have collected tender documents from the City. The successful stadium operator will also be required to manage and maintain the Common as an integrated whole.

Construction on the new stadium is on schedule. Foundations are being poured for the columns of the podium housing the parking bays and services for the stadium. This will be followed by foundations for the raking columns of the stadium bowl and by the construction of the columns themselves.