New images of Civic Square upgrade proposals revealed
Thursday, 5 September 2024
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Rooftop gardens, a City Gallery extension, a new city to sea bridge and the possible removal of the earthquake-prone Michael Fowler Centre have all been pitched to councillors.
And new artist impressions of the Civic Square upgrade have been released following the briefing and ahead of public consultation starting in mid-October.
The plan has different scenarios which have varying priorities such as maximising green space, creating more commercial opportunities, retaining existing buildings and structures or creating new ones.
The document doesn’t make recommendations and says each decision for every site would be brought to the Wellington City Council to consider from July next year after public consultation.
It’s expected work will be phased over the next 10 years and the overall vision is that Te Ngākau becomes the “beating heart of our capital city”.
Te Ngākau Civic Square has been hit with a series of earthquake-prone assessments over the past decade. The Town Hall, Central Library, Michael Fowler Centre, Municipal Office Building, City Gallery, Civic Administration Building, former Capital E Building, City to Sea Bridge and the basement under the square are all earthquake prone.
The Michael Fowler Centre Options
The “strengthen and adapt” option would see the earthquake-prone centre kept, restored and strengthened as “an urban beacon” at the north-end of Cuba St.
The other option is to remove the Michael Fowler Centre which the masterplan said would create a new opportunity for existing urban connections from Cuba St to extend beyond to the waterfront.
“This new development plays a key role in uniting the commercial, residential and entertainment precincts.”
City Gallery Options
Option one is to structurally upgrade the earthquake-prone building but the surrounding landscape’s redevelopment will depend on whether the City to Sea Bridge is kept or removed.
Another “conservative” option is to give the City Gallery a small extension to transform it into a sheltered laneway with shops and commercial spaces
The third option is a large extension of the building to make it five storeys. It would also include a sheltered laneway on the ground floor with the gallery and exhibition spaces moved to the new extension.
City to Sea Bridge
The first option is to keep the earthquake-prone but landmark bridge, but this would have a significant impact on the plans for the surrounding landscape. Councillors have previously voted against spending $230 million to save it.
The briefing to councillors also included an update that the bridge had been given a 20% rating of the New Building Standards but it was safe to continue being used until it was either strengthened or demolished in 2026.
The second option is a grade crossing over Jervois Quay while the third option is a new bridge which connects to the Michael Fowler Centre and integrated with the centre’s existing basement entry.
Jack Ilott Green
One option is to landscape the greenspace while a “conservative” option would be to extend it down to the waterfront with a smaller building footprint.
A third “maximum development” would maximise commercial development with a 10-storey building which the plan said would become a “significant addition to the Wellington skyline”.
Wellington mayor Tory Whanau called the Precinct Development Plan an “inspiring document” that gave people “a real sense of how amazing Te Ngākau will be once finished”.
The aim of the plan is to improve the connection between the central city and the waterfront, bring nature and biodiversity back to the precinct, build resilience in the face of climate change, reinvigorate the area and support the surrounding business and residential areas.
Wellingtonians will get their say on the plans with online surveys, drop in sessions, physical forms and council engagement when formal consultation begins in mid-October.
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