$200m project: Critics 'have wrong idea'

Designers of Marlin Group's $200 million proposed Ponsonby development want residents to think of the shopping, apartment and cinema plan as more an "urban village" than a commercial project.

Jeremy Whelan, managing director of Ignite Architects which designed the Soho Square project for the 1.3ha former DYC yeast and vinegar site, said people had the wrong idea about the project.

"It's not just a big crass development," Whelan said, citing 3500sq m of open space in plans for the site bounded by Williamson Ave, Pollen St and Crummer Rd.

Five cinemas with 717 seats, 30 shops, cafes and bars spread over a 7903sq m area, 45 apartments, 1241 carparks and 2.4ha of offices are planned.

Whelan and planning consultant Martin Green, of Green Group, drew parallels between Soho and the Chancery shopping centre beneath the Ascott Metropolis in Auckland's CBD, although Green acknowledged Soho would be four times the size of Chancery. Green also pointed out that developer Lane Kells of Marlin could make much worse use of the prime site, saying optimal commercial usage would have simply been to fill the site with as many high-density apartments as possible.

"The developer could have put 500 to 600 apartments on the site but what is being proposed is a combination of shops, offices, apartments, cafes, bars and public space," Green said.

Auckland City is yet to consider Soho Square, which goes back before the urban design panel on November 17.

But Green and Whelan emphasised they had the panel's initial backing and said Ignite's plans won a $60,000 design competition staged by Marlin.

"The proposal has been placed before the panel on one occasion and the panel was complimentary of the overall scheme," Green wrote in a report to the Western Bays Community Board last month.

Green and Whelan acknowledged that most of the 200 responses drawn when Auckland City notified Marlin's application were from Ponsonby residents opposed to the project.

Objectors took issue with Soho's scale, character and form. They have rejected a proposal to build a shopping mall in a character area, which Whelan said was a misinformed view. Instead, Soho would "pioneer a sensitive mixed-use concept for the valuable site", he said.

Although the project was eight levels when only five were permitted, only one of the many buildings planned for the site would be that tall.

Whelan did not want Soho to have a uniformity compelled by slavishly adhering to the rules.

Claims that Soho would shadow Western Park were unfounded.

Whelan said heritage architect Dave Pearson had been engaged to prepare a report on how Soho related to neighbouring buildings.

One of Soho's most outspoken critics has been Auckland City councillor Penny Sefuiva, who has called the project poorly designed, lacking a community feel and out of harmony with the area.

She said traffic impacts of Soho would be huge, particularly at rush hour.

Soho: For and against

* Plans emerged from a $60,000 design competition.

* The project will offer 3500sq m public open space.

* A new road will be created - but use will be limited.

* The district plan rules are breached by:

* Proposing 4.4ha of buildings when 2.6ha is permitted.

* Being short of 231 carparks.

* Exceeding height controls by about three storeys.