The extended access road into the park and a new car park for sports users represented a "milestone", Vincent Community Board chairwoman Clair Higginson said this week.
Work on the $300,000 project starts on Monday.
A range of options for redeveloping the 28ha park, costing between $4.2 million and more than $14 million, were unveiled to sports groups in early 2009. More than 30 groups, mostly sports clubs, use the park and the staged redevelopment included the construction of a new sports "hub" and indoor sports hall.
No decision has yet been made on the future of Molyneux Stadium. The facility is used as an indoor sports venue and was originally used as a gymnasium by Dunstan High School. Dunstan's own gymnasium on the school grounds opened in 2010.
Board members decided to continue to monitor the demand for the school building before making any decision on the stadium.
Ms Higginson said one of the suggestions in the redevelopment report was to make more connections into and through the park, linking the various sports facilities and recreational areas within it.
"One of the issues was wayfinding. People from out of town found it hard to find their way," Ms Higginson said.
The Boundary Rd-Centennial Ave entrance would be the main access into the park, she said, although the Dunstan Rd access to the courts would remain open in the meantime.
Boundary Rd would be extended past the Molyneux Aquatic centre to the netball complex at the eastern park boundary and a new sealed car park would be built behind the netball court pavilion.
Work should be finished by mid-April, Ms Higginson said.
"There's no intention for this to be a through road in the park and in fact, groups said very strongly they didn't want a through-road. The destination at one end will be the car park for the netball courts."
Central Otago Netball centre president Sally Bell said fundraising was under way for the resurfacing of the netball courts. The $350,000 project comprised an all-weather rubberised surface being laid. It was hoped to have that work done by the 2013 season.
Sealing the Boundary Rd access road and a new car park would reduce the problem of gravel ending up on the courts, she said.
