CityHeart revitalisation
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Free weekend parking
in the CBD with
no time limits! |
Free Weekend Street Parking in the CBD
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From 29 August weekend parking in the CBD will be free with no time limits! That means on weekends you can park for as long as you like on every street in the map below. This applies to all:
- kerbside parking
- P60
- P30
- P10
- P5
in the city centre. |
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Some exceptions apply. There are still a few places that will be reserved for their designated uses:
- Disability parks
- Motorcycle parks
- Taxi stands
- Bus stops
- Loading zones.
Also off-street parking and car park buildings are not included in the promotion. But all other parks are yours for the taking for free.
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Aristist's impression of Victoria Street upgrade.
Pedestrian friendly crossing on Victoria Street by Garden Place. |
 CityHeart project is Council's response to the development of the city centre. It is about the creation of a vibrant and distinctive heart for Hamilton. Council made its commitment to it in the 2006 Long-Term Council Community Plan.
In December of 2007, a group of leading experts in economic development, retail, transport and urban design joined together for a week-long design 'hothouse'. The result was a series of new design concepts that offered an exciting new direction for how we connect and interact with our city environment.
The project concepts saw the creation of physical spaces we all want to share. These spaces will encourage economic vitality and begin to reflect our city's unique identity. Public consultation and focus groups soon followed.
The CityHeart project is driven by a need to deliver connectivity and cohesiveness in the central city's future development.
Key factors include:
- Expressing Hamilton's creativity and identity
- Creation of safe places to which people are naturally drawn
- And the linkage of our gathering places through design as well as physicality
- Click here to stay informed about the CityHeart revitalisation project by subscribing to our eNewsletter
Council engaged a CityHeart project team (Downer EDI Works, Reset Urban Design and Traffic Design Group). The project team has successfully navigated Section 1 (Hood Street to Collingwood Street) and 1b (from Collingwood Street to Bryce Street) of Victoria Street redesign and implementation.
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Council's 2006-16 Long-Term Plan makes funding provision of $25.845m over the plan's 10-year period to enable the redevelopment of the CityHeart following initial work undertaken in 2005 on the CBD 2020 project[1].
Media releases:
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Contact
Return to main page
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Communication and Marketing
Level 1, Council Offices
Garden Place
Hamilton City Council
Private Bag 3010
Hamilton 3240
Phone: 838 6481
Fax: 838 6761
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Opening up Garden Place
Over the next 12 months designs will be finalised to breathe new life into Garden Place, but there are a few things we can do right now to make it a safer and a more usable space.
Before Christmas, the old fountains will be removed and some of the low lying vegetation will be cleared away.
The reason for this is that we know that the cluttered area close to Victoria Street is neither good to look at, nor particularly safe. The fountains and pools which were installed in the 70’s are deteriorating and leaking. The area will be cleared and opened up to make it safer, more accessible and to prepare it for further enhancement in 2009.
One of the earlier ideas for Garden Place was for a traffic lane. Public consultation clearly showed that it was not an idea supported by the community, so it will not be going ahead.
Community consultation
A series of focus groups were held with community groups from 13 to 15 November 2007. Attendees included businesses/developers, arts interest groups, community interest groups (e.g., disability, education, social services) youth and a sample of resident and retailer groups in the Hamilton East and Opoia residential areas.
The purpose of this initial consultation in November 2007 was to:
- understand stakeholder needs
- ensure the redevelopment project was informed and grounded
- provide input for further development of the concept plans for the City Heart Revitalisation.
More:
Project Concepts for City Heart Revitalisation
The following concepts and ideas are a result of the team's analysis of the initial consultation with key stakeholders, the EBD process and informal community involvement and consultation.
All ideas and comments that were raised through the EBD process were analysed by the design team. From this analysis, the following key themes emerged as the most important:
Enhance existing features such as the trees, water feature and wall
Proposed shared space network from Worley Place to Alexandra Street, which can be used by pedestrians, cyclists and slow-moving traffic. The space would be designated by bollards on existing paving
Proposed shared space network going through Garden Place onto Victoria Street which includes carparks for easy access to shops and businesses in Garden Place
Creation of a wi-fi (wireless-fibre) space situated outside the central library, which will encourage the flow of information into Garden Place
Creative linkage from the Wintec Media Arts Building through to Civic Square and Garden Place to attract talent into the CBD
Fostering intellectual and cultural connection through public art.
Change Ward Street from a one-way street into a two-way street
Remove the Ward Street/Worley Place roundabout
Provide tasteful plantings and street furniture to lift the amenity of the area
Investigate a covered walkway between Downtown Plaza and Centreplace Mall
Install bike stands outside the malls and the Hamilton Environment Centre
Establish Ward Street as an up-market high street
Public investment to coincide with private investment from Kiwi Income Property Trust through some redevelopment of Centreplace.
For more information on Movement and Networks click here
Encourage an indoor/outdoor flow by opening up the Reception Lounge out onto Civic Square and Garden Place using glass doors/windows and an open passage way
Space could be utilised as a large exhibition space open for community groups and the public to use
Convert the existing Council ground floor training room into a boardroom facility which can be utilised by external groups and organisations
Establish a café area within the Council building situated near the existing kitchen (which services the reception lounge and training room).
For more information on Council's Reception Lounge click here
Six potential sites to relocate the I-Site Visitor Information Centre (currently housed in Hamilton's Transport Centre) have been identified.
For more information on the Information Centre click here
There is an opportunity to increase height and density of apartment and residential buildings (this is unlikely to change in the short-term).
The addition of a clip-on to the existing Claudelands Bridge which would be utilised by pedestrians
The creation of another iconic landmark for the city
The widening of footpaths on O'Neill Street to encourage pedestrian flow onto the Claudelands Bridge and into the city heart
The land opposite the Claudelands Event Centre (CEC) to be utilised for commercial and retail activity and to accommodate event parking overflow from the CEC. A longer term vision will see these premises also attracting residential apartments on higher levels.
For more information on the Pedestrian Link and Claudelands Bridge click here
Establish a mixed use complex that may feature apartments, high-end retail and longer-term niche apartments or a boutique hotel
The development will still accommodate carparking requirements
Inclusion of a walkway which would connect to Claudelands Bridge and provide a clear access way onto River Road.
For more information on the Sonning Carpark click here
Possible extension of the Museum or ArtsPost building linking it to the Waikato River
Possible development of riverside residential apartments with an active ground floor space e.g. retail, café, art gallery.
For more information on the land behind ArtsPost click here
[1] 'CBD 2020 Future Vision Report' by Priest Mansergh Graham Landscape Architects Ltd in conjunction with Bloxham Burnett and Olliver Ltd for Hamilton City Council 2005
