Tauranga CBD pop-up park gets creative

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Tauranga City Council's temporary pop-up park on the property from 82-98 Devonport Road will get a splash of colour this weekend as part of a collaboration with Creative Tauranga.

A group of local artists - commissioned by Creative Tauranga - will create six unique pieces of artwork on the park's support pillars over the next two weekends, from around 9.30am each day.

Council is creating the park and 21 additional car parking spaces as an interim measure until the land holding is developed. The project is one of a number of measures to increase the number of car parks in the city centre until more permanent investment in a car parking building is made.

Mayor Stuart Crosby said the park would transform an otherwise unused area into a vibrant and appealing space for the community to enjoy.

"The buildings at the site had a range of condition issues that meant they were not viable for strengthening works or suitable for lease, so we decided to put the space to good use by creating a temporary communal area," he said.

"The project means that we'll have an area for our residents and visitors to enjoy, as well as additional car parks.

"It's great to see the park taking shape and I'm looking forward to seeing the artists' finished pieces."

Creative Tauranga Gallery Curator Millie Newitt said the project would give local artists the chance to create something special in their city.

"This is a great opportunity for some of our wonderful local artists to showcase their talent," Ms Newitt said.

"The community is welcome to watch the progress as these unique pieces unfold. We'd love to see lots of people there to support the artists as they work."

Demolition work at the site began last month and the project is on track to be completed by December.