Civic Square vision proposes new green spaces, pedestrian routes connecting city and waterfront

Tuesday, 6 April 2021

Wellington City Council has released a vision for revitalising and maintaining the rundown Civic Square, which is meant to be the “heart of the city”. (File photo)

Green spaces and new pedestrian connections to the city and waterfront are part of the Wellington City Council’s grand vision to revitalise the rundown Te Ngākau Civic Square.

But the redevelopment will add to the financial pressure on the council, and Mayor Andy Foster said it was inevitable the council would need to bring in private developers. That could lead to more tension within the council, where a proposal to partly privatise the council’s library building proved controversial.

The central city precinct, which is meant to be the “heart of the city”, has been in steady decline since 2013, with only two venues still open and uncertainty hanging overseveral others.

The proposed vision for Wellington’s Te Ngākau Civic Square includes new pedestrian routes (blue lines) through the square from Willis St to the waterfront, and from Cuba St to the waterfront.

Over the past seven years, the Town Hall, Central Library and Capital E buildings have all been closed because of earthquake concerns, as have the Civic Administration Building, Municipal Office Building , and two underground car park buildings.

Only the Michael Fowler Centre and City Gallery remain open, while the future of the nearby City-to-Sea bridge, which is connected to the Capital E building, is also uncertain.

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The vision proposes creating several new green spaces in identified “areas of change”.

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The only two buildings still open in Wellington’s Civic Square are the Michael Fowler Centre (far left) and the City Gallery (the lower building on the right). (File photo)

The draft Te Ngākau Civic Precinct Framework, whichcouncillors will vote on this Thursday, proposes several new pedestrian connections through the precinct, and more green spaces in three “areas of change”.

Those areas are the Michael Fowler Centre car park; the space currently occupied by Civic Administration and Municipal Office buildings, both of which the council plans to demolish; and the rest of the precinct between Harris St and Jervois Quay.

Foster, who holds the council’s urban development portfolio, said the framework would guide the development, and redevelopment, of the Civic Square precinct.

“It’s both very challenging, and also provides some real opportunities to provide a precinct that is far better than what we’ve had in the past,” he said.

The framework comes at a time when the council is under severe financial pressure, with councillors recently voting for a 13.5 per cent rate rise and increasing its borrowing cap so it can fund major infrastructure repairs.

Foster said the precinct would be “mixed-use” so the council would need to partner with private developers given its financial constraints. “What that looks like, we will work our way through,” he said.

Earthquake-strengthening of the Town Hall has already begun, and is expected to cost $112m. So far, $42m has been spent.

The proposed central library rebuild is expected to cost $179m, while the demolition of the two administration buildings are expected to cost about $5m each. Those projects are subject to public feedback as part of the council’s draft 10-year plan.

The proposed framework includes new pedestrian routes through Civic Square from Willis St to the waterfront, and through the square from Cuba St to the waterfront.

Councillors had previously agreed that the council, which moved into an office tower on The Terrace following the closure of the civic administration building in 2016, should return to the area as part of the precinct redevelopment.

They also agreed that the area should become the “musical, creative, and democratic heart of Wellington”.

Foster said the framework would improve the connections between the precinct and surrounding streets, and within the precinct itself.

The proposed framework will go out for public feedback between May 19 and June 15.