About the project
Frank Kitts Park car park will reopen later this year, following a recent reassessment of its seismic risk and a traffic resolution that completes the process to make it available for public parking again. We first announced this on Thursday 29 August.
Guidance for earthquake-prone buildings – developed by MBIE since the car park closed several years ago – shows the space can be reopened for parking purposes, based on an occupancy risk assessment (ORA) that helps owners decide how earthquake-prone buildings can be used.
Council has taken a similar approach for some of its other buildings including the Michael Fowler Centre and the Opera House.
The car park will provide 97 public parking spaces, including two mobility parks. Campervans under 2.2 metres high can also use the park during the day, but it will be closed daily at 8pm.
No motorcycle parking will be available, however there is a motorcycle park near Wellington Museum.
No markets or events of any kind will be permitted to take place there.
Although the car park can be used temporarily for parking, the building is still earthquake-prone and is scheduled to be demolished in 2027, when the wider park area will be redeveloped.
Background
In early 2020 the public car park was closed as a precautionary measure, following an engineering assessment that identified the building as earthquake-prone.
The new ORA assessment allowed Council to reconsider the risk to the public more comprehensively and make a risk-based decision about occupying the car park given its low seismic rating under the New Building Standard (NBS).
Compared to most business-as-usual risks, earthquakes are low probability. While a low NBS rating does indicate a heightened life safety risk in the event of an earthquake, it doesn't mean a building is imminently dangerous. There is no legal requirement to close a building based solely on its NBS rating.
The decision to reopen the car park was made during the 2024 – 2034 Long-term Plan process.
Next steps
Some maintenance mahi is needed before the car park can reopen to the public, including repainting any faded parking lines and making sure all lights are working properly.
New parking machines will be installed and a new entry/exit system for the Jervois Quay entrance will be investigated.
Timing and costs
Getting the car park up to speed is likely to take around four months and cost around $30,000. This will be recouped through parking fees, with no additional cost to ratepayers.
Revenue from the parking spaces will help offset the loss of Council revenue as on-street car parks are removed from parts of the CBD to facilitate greater active and public transport options.
Operating hours and parking fees will be consistent with other Council-operated waterfront car parks that provide all day parking such as Barnett Street:
- $5 per hour up to a maximum of $20 Monday to Friday
- $3 per hour up to a maximum of $12 on weekends
- Free parking on public holidays
- No overnight parking.
Contact us
Shane Binnie, Wellington Waterfront and City Parks Manager
Shane.Binnie@wcc.govt.nz
021 364 406