The Yock Stand at the ASB Tennis Arena in Auckland, New Zealand, is being demolished as part of a long-awaited renovation.
As the first stage of the stadium redevelopment, the concrete stand is to be pulled down and will be replaced with a new structure and facilities, including improved seating and access for fans.
Pre-demolition work has already been completed, with the removal of internal infrastructure of the stand, and the main structure has started coming down with the help of specialist machinery.
According to Tennis Auckland CEO Marcus Reynolds, while he and his colleagues are looking forward to starting on the redevelopment, it will be sad to see a slice of history go: “The Yock Stand has been here at Stanley Street for over 50 years and has seen some of the biggest names in world tennis here on Centre Court. While there’s a lot of history in this stadium, we’re looking forward to upgrading our facilities to ensure that fans and players continue to enjoy the experience in the future.”
This demolition work marks
the start of Stage 1A of the redevelopment of the ASB Tennis Arena. Once complete, the upgrade will boost capacity of Centre Court to 3,500, the minimum requirement set by WTA and ATP license requirements. This increase
in stadium capacity, as well
as improvements in public facilities at the stadium, will help secure the ASB Classic in Auckland for
years to come.
The redevelopment will be managed by RCP and Savory Construction, which have been involved with the project for a number of years. Full redevelopment plans for the arena include additional facilities upgrades, with a wet weather solution remaining a key deliverable in the long-term strategy of the venue.