Latest designs for Nelson city revamp
A major upgrade of Bridge St will see more than 100 new trees planted along a kerb-less road, the latest designs show.
It comes as Nelson City Council has announced it will bring forward some initial work to the current financial year.
On Thursday night the Nelson City Council hosted an invite-only meeting for a six-month update on progress following the City Revitalisation Summit held in March.
The one day event exploring how to refresh and grow Nelson’s city centre was spurred in part by a Nelson Mail series on the topic.
Since then, several taskforces have been established to work on the 75 ideas that came out of the summit, the Thursday meeting was told.
Nelson Mayor Nick Smith said if anything, the economy was worse since the summit, but they needed to keep the revitalisation conversation going.
He pointed to work on a central city play space, Millers Acre and Plan Change 29 as important projects being worked on.
One of the major focuses of the meeting was the Bridge to Better project which will upgrade water supply, wastewater and stormwater infrastructure to enable inner city apartment developments in the area, as well as reducing the flooding of Wakatu Square car park during king tides.
Once the underground work is complete, the council plans to make Bridge St and Haven Rd “a people-focused corridor, with more green places, more places to socialise, a more sustainable commercial environment and more transport choices”, the council said at the start of community engagement in September last year.
The Government has committed $36.4 million from the Infrastructure Acceleration Fund, and the council has committed $32m to the Bridge to Better project.
This week, the council shared the latest designs with key stakeholders and businesses along the central city street.
Council community engagement manager Paul Shattock wrote in an email accompanying the designs that it was “significantly greener in the design than it is right now”.
“This is a key part of creating a more welcoming space for all users. While some trees will need to be removed due to the below-ground infrastructure work, the street will benefit from over 100 additional suitable trees once the project is complete.”
Another key point was that the street would be “flush” with no kerbs.
There would be rain gardens to help cope with storm water in a weather event, he wrote.
It was about creating a street that would be a destination, he told Thursday’s meeting.
“An area where people really want to be.”
Construction is set to begin in 2026 and completed in 2028.
But, Smith said some parts were being brought forward to the current financial year to help the council get the best value for ratepayers.
“Strong feedback we’re getting on Bridge to Better is get on with it, and the second thing is that the construction sector is struggling and we’re getting better prices than we have on two or three years.”
As well as getting a good deal the council would help provide employment and work for local construction companies, he said.
The parts being brought forward are the Salt Water Creek floodgates and water mains on Halifax and Bridge streets.
One person at Thursday’s meeting asked what the impact would be on city parking, with 35 car parks on Bridge St being lost.
Smith responded that there were additional car parks going in at the Trafalgar Centre and he remained committed to an election promise of no net loss of parking in the city.
When it came to other steps to revitalise the city, there was little new information.
Councillor Kahu Paki Paki from the City Revitalisation Taskforce said there were “interesting developments” coming soon for the arts hub project, but couldn’t provide details.
“We have a plan and a business case for council to consider.”
Waterfront Redevelopment Taskforce chair, councillor Mel Courtney talked about a memorandum of understanding signed with Port Nelson laying important groundwork for projects to connect the city to the sea.
When asked by an audience member to provide details Courtney said they should “give us some space to get on with it”.
“You have got to be more positive.”
What If Whakatū Nelson community taskforce chair Brian Riley talked about three initiatives underway: the Spring Clean Nelson City event happening in October, plans for a heritage walk in central Nelson where people could learn about the city’s stories, and the establishment of a philanthropic register.
Smith closed the meeting by urging everyone to play a part in the revitalisation of the city.
“This is a community and not just a council role.”
By Katie Townshend, Nelson Mail
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