Street name to change
Hamilton’s Ward Street will be no longer despite businesses along the CBD street opposing a change.
In October last year, Hamilton City councillors voted against a proposal to change the name of Ward St in the CBD to Dame Hilda Ross Place.
Now they’ve changed their minds.
On February 1, businesses along the street were delivered a letter indicating council’s desire to change the street name by 2019.
The proposal was brought forth by TOTI, a charitable trust, who is planning a statue of Dame Hilda Ross outside Starbucks Coffee and wanted the nearby street to bear her name as well.
Dame Hilda was a political pioneer and social activist.
‘‘At the Growth and Infrastructure meeting the application was declined, however, at the council meeting on December 14, the Mayor and councillors decided to revisit the decision and approve the name change,’’ the letter states.
Linley Hart, owner of Hart Jewellers, feels that Hamilton City Council has blatantly ignored the wishes of business owners.
‘‘Why go through all the bureaucracy and the printing and taking the time to interview people, then, out of pure boredom, approve it?
‘‘Why didn’t council just go on a holiday like everyone else?’’
Hart has a long affiliation with Ward St. The jewellery store was once located in the 1920s Railway Building, before it was torn down in 2016. The jewellery store has been at its current address for around three years.
‘‘We know how hard it was going from 6 Ward St, to 12 Ward St,’’ she said.
There is also the case of security with Hart Jewellers. They have to contact every supplier they’ve dealt with to make sure no jewels get lost in the post.
Ward Street Barber Shop owner Willian Victorino Medeiros said the only people happy with the name change was Centre Place mall.
‘‘That won’t affect them,’’ he said.
‘‘[Council] went against people’s choices and still decided to do it. It makes you wonder who they work for, themselves or the people?’’
Medeiros took over the shop from the previous owner in July last year. He said it would cost around $5000 to implement new signage around his store.
‘‘Believe it or not, this is the oldest barber shop in Hamilton. It started back in the late 20s in the Railway Building. For as long as I can remember, it’s always been called Ward Street Barber Shop,’’ he said.
‘‘Even if the time comes along and they change the name, I’m still going to be called Ward Street Barber Shop.’’
Texas Radio owner Marcus Potroz also voted no when initially asked.
‘‘My personal feeling is that it’s a waste of time,’’ he said.
‘‘It was named after a two-term prime minister back in the early 1900s, and now we’re discrediting him to credit another person who had just as much influence.
‘‘But I made a decision in the end that what will be, will be. Sometimes progress is a good thing and you don’t know unless you try. I’ll leave it in the lap of the gods.
‘‘In two years’ time we can look back and think it’s the best decision made yet, but I think I’ll be proven right,’’ he said.
Councillor Angela O’Leary was absent at the council meeting when the initial decision to decline it was made.
But when the recommendation was put forth to councillors again in December, she said changing the name made the most sense.
‘‘What seemed to make sense to me was that Ward St is cut in half by Centre Place now, and the concept of having a piece of art in the plaza and tidying that public space up was quite an attractive option. We’re still keeping the much bigger section of Ward St, which goes right down to Girls’ High,’’ she said.
Council appointed O’Leary and Cr Paula Southgate to liaise with TOTI on the upgrade, design and launch of Dame Hilda Ross Plaza and Dame Hilda Ross Place.
O’Leary said street name changes – like Sapper Moore Jones Place and Anzac Parade – had been very successful.
‘‘ [Businesses have] made the change fairly quickly and actually like the fact there’s art or something special associated with that street.
‘‘I understood through the Hamilton Central Business Association, who had approached all the businesses, that there was majority support for the name change,’’ she said.