Private redevelopment met with enthusiasm
The Wellington City Council has voted to enter negotiations with Precinct Properties to redevelop a Te Ngākau Civic Square site.
The Civic Administration Building (Cab) and Municipal Office Building (Mob) will be demolished by the council over the next two years, leaving an empty space, which Precinct Properties will develop into either a hotel or office space, with public spaces on the ground and first floors. Staff would now enter negotiations with Precinct over a development agreement for the site. It was not yet clear whether the developer would also acquire the title to the land.
Nureddin Abdurahman and Iona Pannett were the only councillors opposed to the development negotiations, with Pannett saying that bringing in a developer for Civic Square was like selling the council’s assets.
Other councillors were enthusiastic about the redevelopment plan and said private businesses, especially retail or hospitality, would help to activate the space and bring more people into the area.
Geordie Rogers could not see anything wrong with “a little place to grab a quiche before a protest”. “In the past, I have been late to protests because I wanted to go to Little Grump to grab a quiche,” he admitted.
Rebecca Matthews said businesses were not something to be feared and she envied Auckland’s public spaces like Wynyard Quarter, where people could get a quiche or a cocktail or brunch.
“What I see [there] is a beautiful public space that reflects the history, that acknowledges mana whenua, but also incorporates a lot of retail and hospitality choices ... But also because those people are enjoying those spaces, there are also a lot of other people who might not want to do that but are walking around, enjoying the public space.”
Tim Brown recalled when Civic Square first opened, he walked into the space and thought it was one of the best-designed public spaces in New Zealand. But there was “not another soul in sight”. The square needed activation to bring people in, which had been sorely missing, he said.
Ray Chung said the council did not want the development to only be office buildings “which are deserted when people go home from work”.