Plaza upgrade aims to boost activity
Transforming Tawa plaza from an ‘‘uninviting wind tunnel’’ into a hive of activity is the core goal of a $1 million upgrade.
Final public submissions on the Wellington City Council funded project closed last month and included suggestions to add a stage area for performers and free wi-fi.
The council has agreed to focus their efforts on the pedestrian space outside the shopping centre rather than altering the roads surrounding the centre.
‘‘In future years, this space could be used for the Spring into Tawa event, craft markets and other community events,’’ Mayor Celia Wade-Brown said.
‘‘Redesigning the space in front of the Plan B House and adding new seating, paving and planting will make it more usable and make the area more walkable and attractive.’’
The council received 149 submissions including from local businesses and community groups who were asked what was their priority for the upgrade.
Originally council intended to spend $610,000 on the plaza out of the total budget of $1 million.
However, based on feedback from the community, as much of the budget as necessary will be spent on the plaza upgrade.
‘‘They wanted more money spent on something very clearly that would make a difference, and not so much on the roading,’’ transport and urban development committee chairman Andy Foster said.
‘‘We are going to run design workshops to pick up their ideas and one that has been mentioned has been having a performance space or stage.’’
He said the council wanted the investment to strengthen business activity in the area.
Next month a public meeting with designers will be held to discuss how the community wants the revamped plaza to look.
Other conclusions from the final submissions included not turning the Pink Pineapple lane into a shared space but improving the pedestrian crossing at the junction of the lane and Main Road.
The council will redesign two pedestrian crossings: one between the Plan B House and the TAB, and between the Post Shop and the dairy.
‘‘The aim for business owners is to create a ‘‘nice place to be, to activate the whole plaza and at the moment it is an uninviting wind tunnel,’’ Tawa Business Group co-chairman and local business owner Ant Simon said.