Cape Town - Cape Town Stadium may be lit up as a “dynamic urban artwork” to generate more income once the City of Cape Town gets the green light to use the venue for commercial activity.
The final environmental impact assessment report on the commercialisation of the stadium is available for public comment until July 20.
This additional amendment to the environmental authorisation application for the stadium would allow the facility to be lit up in colours or patterns to depict a company’s corporate colours or logo.
The move is one of several marketing and branding proposals being mooted to generate income for the stadium.
According to the final environmental impact report, prepared by The Environmental Partnership, the Cape Town Stadium is facing sustained financial losses and will remain as such if the financial deficit is not addressed. It’s estimated that the stadium is running at an average annual loss of R39 billion.
“In the long run, the financial shortfall will increase which will require more municipal funds to be released to maintain and operate the facility,” noted the consultants.
However, the current environmental authorisation for the precinct restricts commercial activity on non-event days and the city has therefore applied for changes that will allow the stadium to be used for retail, restaurants, coffee shops, late night venues and tourism facilities.
Initially, one of the conditions of the environmental authorisation was that uplighting on the outer sides of the building had to be used sparingly.
But the final environmental impact report calls for an amendment to this to allow for illumination in accordance with a “strategic lighting masterplan”.
This was recommended by the consultants who did the visual impact assessment of the precinct.
The firm, Gibbs Saint Pôl, said the impact would diminish as people in the area became used to the displays. It was also suggested that the illumination of the stadium could be done in accordance with other sites to create a “lighting narrative” in the city.
“Illumination, on its own, can be viewed as a negative impact; however, it can result in a positive impact if done in a tasteful and sensible manner without compromising the character of the area.
“A greater degree of illumination than the current situation would make the stadium more visually prominent in the urban landscape and therefore increase urban legibility and wayfinding,” noted Gibbs Saint Pôl in the report.
The report also dealt with concerns about the impact on traffic in the area, and suggests that a traffic management plan was already in place for event days. The consultants added that the onus would fall on the operator to ensure that traffic flow on event days did not clash with any of the commercial activities taking place.
Parking for patrons of restaurants or other retail outlets would be accommodated in the stadium precinct and it was “highly unlikely” that the parking would spill over into other areas of Green Point.
It was emphasised in the report that the commercial rights would apply only to the stadium precinct and would not infringe on the Green Point Urban Park.
There will also be no new permanent structures that would extend beyond the existing structural envelope.
Once all the comments have been received, during this fourth round of public participation, they will be attached to the final environmental report that will be submitted to the environmental authorities for decision.
A separate planning process for the required rezoning of the space to allow for business use is also under way.
Cape Argus