Making mall a real destination

Rachael Mannion at the mall where the $2.67 million of work has started. Photo / John Stone

With geotechnical investigations and landscaping ventures, Cameron Street's $2.67 million revamp is under way, although not everyone is happy about it.

Councillor Brian McLachlan thinks it is unwise to pour money into Cameron St Mall when it is already under-used.

The Whangarei District Council's plans to revitalise the mall include the extension of the tiled pavement east down Cameron St and half a block northwards along James St, plus the addition of two canopies.

"Strip malls are a thing of the past," said Cr McLachlan, "Customers want certain things: they want convenience, which comes with parking close to where they're going and preferably undercover.

"It's about destination. At Sylvia Park (Auckland shopping mall) you go there for an afternoon, even though you might only want a pair of socks. It becomes a destination and that's what is lacking in Whangarei."

This weekend will see the removal of several exotic palm trees around James St, to clear out the area ready for a new tiled shared space for pedestrians and vehicles. Those trees will be replaced by four-metre nikau palms that will surround the shared space.

Project engineer Rachael Mannion said the new palms were a way to "re-green" the area.

Soil has been dug up to test it for resilience for two 13m high canopies made of ETFE (ethylene tetrafluoroethylene), a transparent polymer which also covers the Forsyth Barr Stadium in Dunedin. The canopies are set to go in by summer.

There will be no parking on Cameron St during construction, although there will be temporary disabled spaces on John St. "During the work, there will be less parking but, after it has been completed, it will hopefully be restored. There will be, at least, be disabled parking," said Ms Mannion.

Plans for the mall revamp have been considered for four years and been through three rounds of consultation.

The project is part of the plan to connect the CBD with the Town Basin.

- Additional reporting Alexandra Newlove