Nelson council to seek feedback on $27m plan to transform ‘neglected’ waterfront
Plans for a $27.3 million makeover of Nelson’s “neglected” waterfront will soon go out for public consultation.
Swimming, eating, walking and spending time by the sea are at the heart of the vision, which includes a shared pathway, steps into the water and revamped historic buildings for hospitality and commercial use.
The Nelson City Council wants to hear what the public think of the proposals and what they want from their waterfront.
The Draft Waterfront Masterplan covers council-owned land and buildings along Haven Rd, and is intended to guide development over the next 10 to 30 years.
Photo: Supplied
On Thursday, councillors will vote on whether to put the plan out for consultation next week.
Mayor Nick Smith said the waterfront had “views as beautiful as anywhere in the world and a rich heritage”.
“The problem is poor access, neglected buildings and no plan for its future.”
Waterfront Taskforce chairperson Mel Courtney said three council-owned heritage buildings had sat empty or underused for years, while roads and carparks cut off the wider precinct from the water.
“The masterplan brings transport, water access, business and heritage together for the first time.”
He said the priority was a 600-metre shared path, making up stage one.
The four metre wide pathway would run from Collins St and then behind Anchor Building along the waterfront to the Nelson Yacht Club.
The next stage would see reshaped carparks and up to 50 new spaces, landscaping and bus stops, with major building and swimming projects to follow in stage three.
Smith said the “most exciting of the proposals” was the new swimming area around the NCC Electricity Building, home to the Aotearoa mural and a transformer.
The plan proposes $4.3m for wide steps into the sea and a renewed boat ramp for light craft, with larger $6.8m and $8.6m options left for later.
The old wharf attached to the building would be partly demolished, while the building itself would undergo a $12m redevelopment, adding changing and toilet facilities, offices, hospitality and covered public space.
Further along, the earthquake-prone, heritage-listed Anchor Building could also be strengthened and repaired, opening up about 240 square metres on each floor for lease.
The future of the adjacent Custom House was less certain.
The former backpackers, bought by the council about 18 months ago, was not included in the $27.3m programme.
Options up for consultation included spending $250,000 to $600,000 to keep it standing, to a fit-out costing up to $5.5m for accommodation or hospitality.
Demolition, creating another 18 carparks, was also an option.
The masterplan would be decided through the 2027-37 Long Term Plan.
Smith said this part was about “deciding the direction” rather than committing to spending.
The council had to be “very mindful” of financial pressure on households and the trade-off between progressing the waterfront and increasing rates, he said.
The council was seeking expressions of interest for hospitality and office space in the NCC Electricity Building, with a wider range of uses possible for the Anchor Building and Custom House.
“They might be accommodation, they might be tourism, they might be related to our ocean and seafood-type industry. And we’re open to all options.”
Waterfront Taskforce deputy chairperson Sarah Kerby said she was “particularly excited” by the potential to improve sea access for the disabled.
She encouraged rangatahi to submit, saying their voices had been lacking in the recent Civic Hub consultation.
“This is the time to tell us. How do you want to use this space and really make this yours?”
If councillors agree to consultation, submissions would run from October 5 to November 2.
This Post Has 0 Comments