CityHeart - Victoria Street Upgrade

The CityHeart Revitalisation project is Council’s response to ongoing development of the city centre.  It is about driving economic and social revitalisation through the creation of a vibrant and distinctive heart for Hamilton.
 
The CityHeart project itself involves a series of physical works, planning and place management projects.  Collectively these projects look to encompass and integrate a broad range of interests ranging from user convenience and safety, city identity/history and creativity, public and private transport efficiency, event management, stimulating economic activity as well as retail vitality.

The recently completed Victoria Street upgrade (Hood Street to Bryce Street) is one of these physical work projects. It focused on creating a pedestrian friendly, traffic calmed environment with lighting and landscape improvements creating a updated and sophisticated streetscape for a vibrant dining and retail experience.

CityHeart Overview

CityHeart was initiated to help create a sense of place - with active places and sophisticated yet safe environments helping to drive economic and social revitalisation. With a new business association now in place, the city centre is poised to become Hamilton's ultimate shopping and dining destination. Council continues to drive and assist with all efforts to improve our CityHeart. We see it as vital for our city's future.

As a flagship project of the Economic Development Strategy, the City Heart Revitalisation project will create a safe, vibrant and distinctive city heart for Hamilton through a “place making” approach. It will include physical redevelopment of central areas such Garden Place and Civic Square, the creation of a pedestrian link to the Claudelands Event Centre, establishment of a business association and a raft of nonfinancial incentives and attractions for new businesses and visitors.

Project Progress

January to August 2009 - See weekly updates - Links (below) for project progress.

January 2009 - Streetscape work along both sides of Victoria Street - between Hood and Collingwood streets - commenced on 5 January 2009. The first of many successful weekly retailer meetings was held on 7 January. These meetings enabled business owners to keep updated on scheduling details and issues and communicate problems as they arose. Four construction crews worked continuously to complete the first section prior to the Hamilton 400 V8s event.

October 2008 - trialled new traffic calming measures along the south end of Victoria Street. The area was a problem for those crossing the road with unclear crossing points combined with motorists travelling at high speeds, which resulted in a number of pedestrian/vehicle accidents. A single lane trial in the southbound lane was instigated and later utilised as a feature in the new street design. Clear pedestrian crossings, a narrower carriageway with two speed tables, improved lighting for both footpath and street, clean new landscaping as well as goods and services zones relocated to the new centre median have all contributed to a successful and efficient redesign.

September 2008 - Council undertook an innovative approach to sourcing contracting and urban design teams that worked together as a consortium. The effect of this approach - Early Contractor Involvement (ECI) - was to realise premium results of project design, delivery and budget efficiencies. The successful consortium - Reset Urban Design, Downer EDi Works - joined with Council, which brought project management and communication/liaison to form the CityHeart Project Team.

December 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. Public consultation and focus groups followed soon after.

Links

• Economic Development Strategy

Contact

 
 
 
 
 
 
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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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