Beca wins CBD bid
The new Porirua City Council subcommittee for the City Centre Revitalisation Project has appointed consulting firm Beca to manage the revamp of the city centre.
The subcommittee has been set up by the council to oversee the strategic direction and implementation of the project.
The aim of the revitalisation project is to create growth and vibrancy in the city centre, with better public spaces and events, attracting development and more jobs for Porirua citizens.
Critical to its success are partnerships between the council, businesses, investors and the community.
Reflecting this is the makeup of the new subcommittee, which has six members.
It will be chaired by mayor Nick Leggett, with councillor Ken Douglas as deputy chairman. Joining them will be four independent members:
John Feast has been involved in property development and providing commercial advice in Wellington for the past 30 to 40 years. He is a property and share investor with interest in the region and strong ties to Porirua.
Norah Barlow has been the chief executive of Summerset since 2001. She has taken the business from being a small retirement village operator on the Kapiti Coast to being the third largest operator and second largest developer in the industry.
Matiu Rei has been the executive director of Te Runanga o Toa Rangatira Incorporated since 1990, and is of Ngati Toa Rangatira descent. He is also chairman of Te Ohu Kaimoana Trust.
Jonathan Custance established architecture and design firm Custance in Wellington in 1985 and Sydney in 2000.
The subcommittee’s first task was to appoint a project delivery unit, external to the council, to run the project under its guidance.
Mr Leggett says four companies tendered for the role as project deliverer and Beca was appointed.
‘‘We’re looking forward to the new project delivery unit getting established and reporting through to the subcommittee so that the council can agree to the next steps in the revitalisation of our city centre.’’
Mr Leggett says Beca has a proven track record with many previous town and city centre redevelopments under its belt.
Beca programme director Greg Pollock says the Beca team is looking forward to working on the revitalisation of the city centre and to getting the private sector on board. The Beca team includes Martin Udale and Anthony Beverley – two well-known property experts.
‘‘ Currently, the city centre undervalues the city’s natural features and attributes – I’m talking about Porirua Harbour and Porirua Stream. We want to see an emphasis on making them front and centre of the redevelopment, all the while aiming to evolve the city centre so that it provides a strong heart for the residents of Porirua,’’ says Mr Pollock.
Beca will spend the next three months developing a strategic plan. Recommendations will be presented to the subcommittee for sign- off and, if approved, implementation will begin.