Wellington City Councillor Nicola Young, Portfolio Leader for Central City Projects, says it’s exciting to see the project commencing, knowing that in around 10 months there will be a fantastic new space in the heart of the capital for people to enjoy.
The site, located next to the bustling Golden Mile, forms an important connection between Victoria, Manners, and Cuba streets. It’s also home to a range of new and established Wellington businesses and residential properties.
Stage one will begin in the Lombard Street and Denton Park area, to transform the space into a vibrant, welcoming area for people to relax and enjoy. The upgrade has been planned alongside the adjacent Cook Strait Properties development, to support both new and existing retail opportunities, and to bring more life to the area.
Between now and March next year, the project will:
- highlight the entrance to Lombard Street to make it easier for people to find their way around
- brighten the area at night with new and energy efficient lighting
- create a shared space to encourage people to visit the area
- improve the sewer, stormwater, and electrical services along Lombard and Bond streets
- improve the quality and slip resistance of paved surfaces
- make improvements to the Bond and Victoria streets junction.
Councillor Nicola Young says the upgrade is part of a wider programme to rejuvenate the city’s laneways. There are also planned improvements in Holland and Garrett streets, and Swan Lane. This follows the transformations of Bond, Eva, Leeds, and Egmont streets, which Wellingtonians have welcomed.
“Lombard Lane and Denton Park will provide a small oasis of calm and relaxation amid our premier shopping precinct. This project – and the rest of the laneways programme – recognises the importance of laneways to the character and connectedness of downtown Wellington.
“More people are living, working, and playing in the central city, so public spaces like this are increasingly important to the vibrancy and health of our city and Wellingtonians,” adds Councillor Young.
The project’s completion, comprising of three construction stages, will be subject to weather conditions.
The first begins on Lombard Street and Denton Park this week, with completion expected in September, then stage two (work on Bond Street west) will start, with completion expected around November. The final stage three works (Bond Street East) will start in November and finish in March 2018.
Cook Strait Properties Director Luigi Muollo says that they are eager for the project to get underway. “It will not only create a high quality public space but will attract both customers and future investors to the area. This will transform the space into a destination to enjoy rather than just a convenient shortcut. Wellington City Council is to be congratulated on being involved in this initiative to regenerate the area.”
The works will be undertaken by construction firm Naylor Love. People will be able to access local businesses and the Lombard car park as usual throughout the entire course of the works. At times, some pedestrian and vehicle diversions will be required to ensure the safety of public while the works are undertaken.
The first temporary closure is the pedestrian entrance to Lombard laneway from Manners Street. This entrance to the laneway will be closed for approximately three to four months.
During the construction, there will be an archaeologist on site to monitor any findings that might be of historic interest. Given the site is on the historic foreshore of Wellington, it is hoped the area may reveal items relating to the land wars and early settlement around Pōneke.