Wellington’s Golden Mile or ‘golden graveyard’?

Tuesday, 27 May 2025

The redevelopment of the site on the corner of Courtenay Place and Blair St is on hold.

A million-dollar redevelopment of one of Courtenay Place’s iconic corner sites is on hold due to uncertainty over the council’s plans for the area.

Auckland restaurateur and former Wellingtonian Paul Wong had hoped to open two eateries, Lucky 8 and Jungle 8, by October in the site that previously housed The Establishment.

However, while work on the corner of Cambridge Tce and Kent Tce began earlier this month, contracts for the majority of the $116 million Courtenay Place upgrade were still being negotiated, forcing Wong to delay his refurbishment.

The Cambridge and Kent Tce work, which includes new pedestrian and bike crossings and improved footpaths, is expected to take eight months.

Building co-owner Kevin Melville said the council’s inability to provide clear information on the rollout of the Golden Mile project through Courtenay Place, expected to take two years, was hugely frustrating.

“If they’re going to close the street for two years, then that would be unworkable. It won’t be the Golden Mile, it will be the golden graveyard.

“They have said they won’t do that, but they don’t know the staging, they don’t know the time frames.

“They’ve got a rough start date of early 2026, and have told us they’ll know more in July. Until then everyone’s in sort of limbo.”

Any period of disruption could be worked through, if everyone involved knew what was happening and could plan for it, he said.

Paul Wong has had to delay plans due to uncertainty over the Golden Mile project

“Here’s someone who’s going to commit a million dollars to do a fit-out who doesn’t have any details about how [construction] is going to affect his business at this point. Put the shoe on the other foot and I’d be the same … I’m not committing to this.”

Wong told The Post in March the site would have two venues under one roof – Jungle 8 on level one and Lucky 8 on level two. The concept would be a new combination of the Pan-Asian cuisines they already offered in Auckland.

Customers would come for food, but the bar would also be a draw card: “There’s an elevated Asian street market feel to it, with a dining bar setting,” he said.

Council spokesperson Richard MacLean said staff had met with the building owner and colleagues last week.

“A lot of information about the project was shared but council staff were unable to precisely confirm the time period when work will happen outside the Establishment – we can’t do that because there are usually many variables in a construction project that can change start and finish dates.

“We have committed to keep the building owner updated.”

MacLean confirmed the terms of the main contract were still being negotiated.