Will the three-year wait for the rebuilding of Stadium Southland be worth it?
You bet. We are talking padded seats, cup holders and a massive cube-shaped screen suspended over the middle of the court, which is basically a million-dollar digital chandelier.
It sounds enough to make you want to abandon your armchair at home in Otago and make the drive to Invercargill just to see it once it is installed.
And to watch the Steel, of course. It is Otago's team, too, and its new home is going to be flash.
Stadium Southland general manager Nigel Skelt gave gathered media a tour of the site on Sunday. A day earlier, he sat down with the Otago Daily Times to, well, brag just a little but also pay tribute to all those who helped with the project.
''We've had a second chance to do something and being part of the redevelopment has been a unique opportunity.
''That has been fantastic but also extraordinarily pressurised. For the first time in my working career, I had to make people redundant, and that was my most difficult working day of my life.''
In September 2010, a severe storm struck the region and the roof of Stadium Southland collapsed under the weight of snow. The community scrambled and converted the velodrome into a multi-use venue, so the Southland Sharks basketball team and the Steel could continue to host home games.
The rebuilding was meant to be complete in time for the beginning of the 2012 season.
''Game on 2012'' was the slogan, but the terrible earthquakes in Christchurch set construction back.
Initially, it was hoped the core block could be saved but new engineering and building codes meant the shell of the building had to be reinforced at an additional cost of $2 million. The scheduled completion date had to be pushed back to November this year.
''It was a devastating blow, knowing that we would not have it back for a third season. That is what we were desperately trying to avoid.
''We lost a host of events. Since the collapse we've lost 82 events.''
Of course, the change in building codes meant the design team had more freedom. The new Stadium Southland will not only be better - it will be much bigger.
The redevelopment will be 10,000sq m, up from 7200sq m. The capacity has increased to 4017, up 880, and there are four more wooden-sprung courts at $150,000 apiece.
''What that does for us, is it makes us an A-list venue. We can't put Elton John in there but we can attract the next tier of artists.
''It also means we can attract national netball and basketball events, which require a minimum of five wooden sprung courts. We have seven, all wooden-sprung, all quality.''
The improvements, of course, were not funded by insurance. But a large naming-rights deal with the Invercargill Licensing Trust and the Southern Institute of Technology has helped pay for most of it.
The organisations put in $1.4 million. SIT has the naming rights for the velodrome and the ILT the naming rights for Stadium Southland. The ILT has also made an additional grant of $3.6 million.
Philanthropist Louis Crimp gave $2 million. The Community Trust of Southland and the Invercargill City Council also put in $2 million, and the Southland District Council made a grant of $250,000. NZI's estimated insurance payout is expected to be more than $20 million.
The whole thing is going to cost about $42 million and there is expected to be a shortfall of $1.5 million.
''We are going to have a public appeal. When we built the velodrome we went to the public and got just under a million from different individuals and different companies. That is the next step, as in the next two or three weeks.
''We've had $750,000 from Lotto but as yet we have not received a grant from the Government, which is one of the challenges for the project team.
''This is Southland's disaster and $1 million in this situation would go a hell of a long way towards completing the largest community project this province has seen.''
Before the roof collapse, Stadium Southland had 10,000 people through its doors a week. It is a well-used facility and very much a focal point for the community. It begs the question why the Government has not contributed.
The fancy screen is individually sponsored. And the padded seats and cup holders? They were what the community wanted.
''We went out to the community and asked them: What would you like in your stadium? Padded seats was the second-highest on the list.
''The demographics of people coming to our events is [ages] between 30 and 65. Comfort, to them, was really important, so that is why we went that way.
''It is drilled into our team that when you come to our venue, you are a guest of ours and not a customer. In my mind there is a huge difference. We want to deliver a really worthwhile experience.''
