Island Bay village upgrades

We're upgrading the public spaces and look and feel of the Island Bay shopping centre along The Parade.

Project updates

May 2024

Works on Island Bay main shopping area and safety improvements are on time and continuing along The Parade. Contractors are on site from 7am to 6pm, Monday to Friday. The stormwater lateral works which address localised surface runoff due adjustments in levels, is nearly complete. Overall works are expected to be completed in October 2024. 

During the short construction in front of the Medical Centre, the accessible car parks will be relocated only temporarily, and maintained as such. Where parking signs are visible, Council will continue to enforce. As part of the proposed parking, there will be one new accessible car park on Medway St at the end of works.

Three new properly designed tree pits with cells and selected native trees, will be planted as part of these works. This will increase our offset with the relocation of one tree and removal of one tree for intersection visibility and safety issues.

We've extended the scope of our furniture plan and look forward to installing a few new benches and bike racks down the length of the Parade to Shorland Park as part of the upgrades.

Please continue to reference the project details below for more information on proposed parking, public space elements, layout, bike lane placement and history.

Project updates Thursday 30 May (325KB PDF)

About the project

The aim of the village upgrade is to improve access, increase safety, and strengthen the suburb's special identity. Funding for the project was approved in our Long-Term Plan 2021-2031.

The village upgrade project covers the main shopping area in conjunction with the  Parade Safety Improvements project that looks at creating a separate cycle lane and road markings. These two projects will be delivered together.

Working with people who live and run businesses in the area, we developed a concept design that will:

  • prioritise pedestrians
  • strengthen the identity and special character of Island Bay village
  • improve safety and accessibility
  • provide more attractive and functional spaces for community activity
  • resurface footpaths and improve the lighting
  • upgrade stormwater infrastructure to accommodate changes in road and footpath levels.
Map showing the scope of the Island Bay village upgrade, centered around Avon Street, Medway Street, Clyde Street, and the Library.
Area included in the scope of the project

Project scope

The scope of work includes improvements to the area’s environment, bike network, lighting, public spaces, heritage, and parking. This includes resurfacing the footpaths and crossings to improve accessibility and safety, creating appealing places to stop and rest with new seating options, installing new bins and bike racks, and creating more space for businesses where people can sit and relax.

The project construction schedule will happen as a series of works starting from Avon Street to the south at the library.

Island Bay village upgrades annotated concept plan (14MB PDF)

Island Bay village upgrades parking plan (1.18MB PDF)

Traffic management

Pedestrian access will be maintained in the work zone and around the intersection. There will be crew onsite to help vulnerable users access the space where necessary. These works will temporarily affect bus stops along route 1 and the team will alert the public of the next closest stop.

Please note that we will be temporarily occupying car parks where necessary to complete sections of the works. These parks will be marked with cones, and there will be signage onsite. Please park in the surrounding available parks during this time. If you need assistance, talk to a contactor on site.

What to expect during construction:

  • Hours of work will typically be 7am - 6pm, Monday – Friday
  • To allow space for work to progress safely, The Parade will be reduced to one lane of traffic around our work site. There will be a stop/go sign in operation from 9am - 4pm to allow for two-way traffic. This is outside peak travel periods to minimise disruption.
  • Access to businesses will be maintained throughout construction.
  • As works progress past driveways, vehicle access into and out of properties will be restricted temporarily. More information on timing will be provided affected to properties.
  • Bus stops will be relocated when working in the area of the bus stop. Check on street signage for temporary bus stop location.
  • The cycle lane will be closed in our work site. Cyclists can dismount or merge with traffic around our site.
  • There will be changes to a couple of trees along The Parade. They will be moved to accommodate wider footpaths that improve accessibility and safety in the area. New trees will also be planted as part of the project. Look out for on street signage for more details.

Our team will be working hard to complete this project on time, however these dates may change due to factors such as wet weather and encountering unknown underground services while completing drainage upgrades.

Design plan

To improve access and safety, and accentuate the suburb's coastal location, the new design elements include:

Environment: Garden beds with native coastal plants and grasses, and raised planter boxes.

Lighting: New lighting in the pedestrian laneway between The Parade and Clyde Street, up lights to make a feature of the trees and seats.

Public spaces: Resurface footpaths to improve accessibility and safety, create appealing places to stop and rest with new benches and bespoke site-specific seats, install new bins and bike racks, and create more space for businesses where people can sit and relax.

Arts and heritage: Include stories and quotes that reflect the area's history in surfaces and signs, and have local artists develop murals on the public toilets and in the laneway between The Parade and Clyde Street.

Outside Island Bay Library: Upgrade the outdoor space so it is more appealing and accessible, create a place where people can stop and sit, and make some changes that will appeal to children.

Parking: Relocate existing carparks and convert the four car parks on Avon Street converted to P60. This will increase the number of carparks in the town centre from 50 to 54 P60 parks, plus 3 accessible parks and 2 taxi parks within 2-5 minutes walking from the main shopping area.

Bike lane connection

The changes planned on The Parade through the main shopping centre have been designed to cohesively link and complement the bike lane improvements that have been completed.

The design has a marked path that will connect with the lanes north and south of the shops for people who want to safely and slowly bike or scoot into or through the shopping centre.

Together, these changes will allow people of all ages and abilities to ride more safely all the way along The Parade if they want to. They will also make it clear where people should ride or expect to see bikes, and where pedestrians have priority.

For detailed information, and history on the safety improvements project please visit The Parade – Transport Projects.

Island Bay mural paintings

As part of these works, we are livening up Island Bay with murals.

Experienced local muralist Gina Kiel painted the public wharepaku on the corner of The Parade and Medway Street in the first stage of these works.

For more information on this mural read the Our Wellington story: Mural brings colourful vibes to Island Bay parade.

Local artist Greta Menzies also painted a colourful mural, with the help from senior students at sland Bay Primary and St Francis de Sales for a laneway connecting their schools, between The Parade and Clyde Street. Read the Our Wellington story: Mural brings students' imagination to life in Island Bay.

Contact us

JFC are the contractor responsible for the works.

If you have any questions or concerns about the project or want to get in touch with our Urban Design team, email psd.islandbay@wcc.govt.nz.