My problem with the planning for party central is that I don't think any of the people making the decisions will actually go there once the ribbon is cut and the photographers have left the scene.
I went to the party central location in the old Team NZ sheds during the Lions tour about five years ago and it was good fun. The sheds were basic with television screens on every wall and post and the bars were temporary but working efficiently. (You had to by tickets to purchase drinks and the minimum you could buy was, I think, seven - which annoyed me at the time because I only wanted one. So much for responsible hosting.) The sheds had an energetic atmosphere and were a good place to go on a week night.
I noticed a slightly aggressive atmosphere on the weekends with more angry-looking men on the prowl and a few fights breaking out.
It was very cold, I think it was June or July, but dressing warmly was not too harsh a price to pay to enjoy the atmosphere.
I think the sheds would make an ideal location for watching the rugby in 2011. Queens Wharf is a huge space that would allow people to spill out of the sheds without getting too close to the water's edge. There just needs to be a few hay bales thrown around, name the sheds the "shearing shed" or the "wool barn", and wheel in a few kegs. People are going to watch the rugby not the interior decorating. I can't see why the $20 million is needed to be spent. What crowd do our civic and national leaders think they are catering to?