The plan brings together all the work underway in Te Ngākau Civic Square with options for future development, to create a single plan that will restore Te Ngākau as the civic and cultural heart of Pōneke.
Te Whare Whakarauika Town Hall, Te Matapihi ki te Ao Nui Central Library, and the Civic Administration Building (CAB) and Municipal Office Building (MOB) site redevelopment projects are already underway.
The development plan includes options for the remaining areas of the precinct, including the City to Sea Bridge, Michael Fowler Centre, Jack Ilott Green, City Gallery Wellington, and the landscaping of the square itself and adjoining areas.
The consultation is seeking feedback from Wellingtonians on two key questions:
- What should be prioritised during the remaining development of the Precinct?
- What should replace the City to Sea Bridge?
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The plan includes a number of sample scenarios for the remaining development, each representing a different priority including maximising green space, creating more commercial activity, and/or retaining existing buildings and structures.
The City to Sea Bridge is earthquake-prone and poses a risk to the safety of the public, the traffic below, and the ability of emergency services to operate along a key arterial route after a disaster. It is structurally connected to the former Capital E building, which is also quake-prone.
Due to these risks and project interdependencies with the completion of the Te Whare Whakarauika Town Hall, remedial action needs to be undertaken as soon as possible.
An option to strengthen the City to Sea Bridge has not been included in the consultation because of the high cost of strengthening and the disruption to Jervois Quay, a key transport and emergency route.
The high-level cost estimate of the cheapest bridge-strengthening option plus remediation of the former Capital E site is $90-$120 million. Further design and testing would be required to refine this cost with a higher level of accuracy. The options for replacement are either a pedestrian crossing only, or a crossing plus a new bridge.