Consultation on Te Ngakau District Development Plan has begun – News and information

The plan brings together all the work taking place at Te Ngakau Civic Square with options for future development to create a single plan that will restore Te Ngakau as the civic and cultural center of Poneke.

The City Administration Building (CAB) and Municipal Office Building (MOB) renovation projects are already underway.

The development plan includes options for the rest of the site, including the City to Sea Bridge, the Michael Fowler Centre, the Jack Ilott Green Centre, the Wellington City Gallery, as well as landscaping for the square itself and surrounding areas.

The consultation seeks feedback from Wellingtonians on two key issues:

• What should be the priority in the further development of the site?
• What should replace the City-Sea Bridge?

Find out more and have your say here

The plan includes a number of indicative scenarios for the remaining development, each representing different priorities, including maximizing green space, expanding commercial activities and/or preserving existing buildings and structures.

The city-to-sea bridge is prone to earthquakes and poses a threat to the safety of the public, traffic below and the ability of emergency services to work on a key arterial route after a disaster. It is structurally connected to the former Capital E building, which is also earthquake-prone.

Due to these risks and the interdependence of the projects with the completion of Te Whare Whakaruika Town Hall, remedial action must be taken as soon as possible.

The option to strengthen the city-to-sea bridge was not included in the consultation due to the high cost of strengthening and disruption of the Gervois embankment, a key transport and emergency route.

The total cost estimate for the cheapest option for strengthening the bridge plus rebuilding the former Capital E site is $90 million to $120 million. Further development and testing will be required to refine this cost to a higher level of accuracy. Replacement options are either a pedestrian crossing only or a crossing plus a new bridge.