Fifty Otago Daily Times readers responded yesterday to a call by the Historic Places Trust to "spark debate" over what to do with Carisbrook if the new stadium goes ahead.
Thirty-one said they wanted Carisbrook retained and the proposed stadium canned. "Carisbrook should be kept and the proposed new one should be abandoned," said Brenda Scott.
Several readers did not agree with the plan to put housing near a motorway and said Carisbrook was best left for recreational purposes.
However, five readers supported the trust's idea, which includes building a housing development on a section of the land, a smaller sports field and the retention of the Neville St turnstile building.
"A good place for housing development and keeping a portion for sports activities. Yes, I am very much in favour with it," said one reader.
Other suggestions on what to do with the ground include a low-priced housing complex, a sporting ground for junior sports, a car park and a playground.
Novel ideas include turning Carisbrook into a conference centre, a planetarium, or "reinvented to be a specialist aqua sports facility", said one reader.
Dunedin South MP Clare Curran joined in the debate, welcoming public discussion about the site's future.
"While all sorts of commendable ideas have begun to be floated, this is not the time to rush into things," she said.
Ms Curran said she had been meeting community members to discuss the area's future and "it is the time to consult widely with the community and to come up with a proposal that will benefit as many people as possible".
Assuming the proposed stadium goes ahead, Ms Curran said she supported a combination of recreational and shopping facilities, but that it should be up to the South Dunedin and Caversham community to decide.
Dunedin Mayor Peter Chin said it was too early to discuss the future of Carisbrook.
