Tauranga's Masonic Park is getting a makeover, with works expected to begin this Wednesday.
Over the coming months the green space, bordered by The Strand and Willow Street in the city centre, is being shaped into place where people can stop by and dine and relax, or pass through from Te Awanui Tauranga Harbour to the future civic precinct, says a statement from Tauranga City Council.
"Landscaping through Masonic Park will contribute to the vibrancy of our city centre and provide a vital connection through this area," says a Tauranga City Council spokesperson.
"The area will include large green spaces with shade, shelter, seating and covered walkways."
What you can expect:
- Access from The Strand to businesses in Masonic Park will be maintained at all times.
- Masonic Park will be secured with fencing to keep people safe during construction, which means there will be no pedestrian access through the park for the duration of construction. People walking from The Strand to Willow Street can use nearby Wharf Street or Hamilton Street.
- Traffic management may be in place on Willow Street at times.
- To make way for this development, from Wednesday, October 18, the Masonic Park off-street car park, which has typically included around ten public car parks and three private car parks, will be permanently closed.
- Helping to offset this change is around a dozen temporary new car parks along Willow Street, which will be made available to the public once some road resurfacing work has been undertaken.
5 comments
The Master
Posted on 16-10-2023 13:17 | By Ian Stevenson
So lets destroy it just before Xmas? Is that the "planning" that they are keen on?
Does not seem to be any merit in the tinkering and changes intended, but you can be assured that the mega $$ spent will indeed be hard to find as to where it all went.
Incorporated
Posted on 16-10-2023 14:18 | By Considered
Hope the cost of this is already incorporated into the unsanctioned CBD redevelopment and is not another added expense to the ratepayers....
AND fingers crossed it is a "greenspace", unlike the one that was promised at the Pheonix skateboard park!!! - you know the one where seagulls supposedly soar?
Time to stop, TCC
Posted on 16-10-2023 15:44 | By nerak
This is not your money, it's ours, the ratepayers. No more pretty spaces when there isw so much else needing doing, finishing. Mindless in the extreme. Agree with both Ian Stevenson and Considered.
Hmmm
Posted on 16-10-2023 18:10 | By Let's get real
In an environment where protests about climate change are more frequent and we are being told that we will probably have water restrictions once again. WHY are we even considering having grass in the CBD...? And where will the council contractors be getting the thousands of litres of water every day, to keep it green...? We are already drawing tens of thousands of litres of "bore water" to keep the grass green at the racecourse, golf courses and parks. Where is the honesty and integrity from the council office seat warmers...? The cost of this nonsense is paltry today, compared to the ongoing maintenance costs every day of every year. Until it's dug up again.
@Let's Get Real
Posted on 17-10-2023 13:12 | By morepork
We could EASILY solve the water problem for a cost of less than 20% of the CBD refurbishment (stated $300 million but will likely be double that before it is finished) that nobody asked for. We could have all the green space (both public and private) we want and no concerns about water. We could take 60 million litres per DAY from the Pacific Ocean and it would not affect the environment in any negative way. (It gets returned to the ocean by natural processes after we have finished with it.) A suitable de-salinization plant would pay for itself in 3 years WITHOUT raising the current cost of water. Why is it not even being considered or discussed? Think about it while you watch your lawn and garden dying in the coming water rationing...
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