Te Ngākau Civic Square is meant to be the heart of Wellington but it has become a graveyard of closed buildings after the Kaikōura earthquake. A plan to bring it back to life has been revealed today but it doesn’t come without pain. Nikau Cafe’s business has been decimated by construction disruption and City Gallery is considering alternative venues. Georgina Campbell and Ethan Manera report.
Wellington City Council has selected Precinct Properties to develop two key sites in Civic Square, breathing much-needed life into an area full of closed buildings.
A new five-star green building will replace the Civic Administration and Municipal Office buildings to cater for retail, hospitality, co-working, and office space, alongside civic and cultural spaces.
It will also provide the front-of-house functions for the Town Hall and any requirements for the new national music centre.
Despite this, the council is committed to the square being the cultural and civic hub of the capital. A master development plan is being prepared for public consultation later this year.
Mayor Tory Whanau noted the proposed development deal remained subject to extensive negotiations but said she was excited about it.
“The decision to select a private developer means the developer funds and undertakes the redevelopment.
“This means the city council avoids the cost and risk of redeveloping the site, which we know can be challenging from our experiences with the Town Hall, while still ensuring that key requirements for the site are met.”
Precinct Properties chief executive Scott Pritchard said the company was a committed long-term investor in Wellington, having developed, owned and managed commercial property there for many years.
“We are excited about the opportunity to work with Wellington City Council to redevelop the [site], creating a new civic heart and precinct for Wellington.
Late last year, councillors voted for the demolition to happen sooner than planned so the site could be redeveloped at a similar time to the Town Hall and Central Library.
The building needs to be stripped ahead of the main demolition work between June and December.
The site is expected to be clear by February next year and ready for development.
Wakefield St will be closed to private vehicles for some time, along with the pedestrian entrance to the square on Victoria St, for health and safety reasons.
The neighbouring Municipal Office Building will also be demolished.
This is after strengthening costs increased to $84 million- about double the original estimate. The view has been that strengthening the Municipal Office Building is no longer economically viable.
City Gallery reduced its opening hours in September last year. Test drilling showed construction noise levels would be too loud for the gallery to continue with its usual hours.
It’s now only open 4pm-7.30pm from Monday to Friday and 10am-5pm on weekends.
Experience Wellington chief executive Diana Marsh said the closure of the pedestrian entrance from Victoria St will significantly reduce access to the gallery.
“Along with noise and debris, [this] will have an impact on our operations and our visitor numbers so we’re looking into options to mitigate these issues, including exploring alternative venues to show the exciting exhibitions we have planned.”
Marsh said the City Gallery was more than its building.
“We have built a strong reputation for showing exhibitions that test art’s boundaries, challenge our audiences and invite debate and we look forward to continuing to deliver art which sparks emotion, curiosity and reflection and connects communities to the people of Te Whanganui-a-Tara, despite the impact of construction work which has disrupted several businesses in the CBD.”
Addison said she has spoken to the council about the possibility of a rent reduction but was told it wouldn’t be possible.
“It’s quite depressing to be fair, but you just keep picking yourself up and carrying on.”
Council spokesman Richard MacLean sais they have been “working closely with Nikau and other Te Ngākau neighbours to keep them informed and offer support where we can”, including face-to-face drop-ins and meetings.
He said the council have offered financial support to the cafe, help with relocation costs, and assistance to find other potential locations in the city.
National School of Music to move into library
A national music centre to “transform New Zealand’s arts scene and inspire future generations” has long been planned in Civic Square.
It’s a partnership between the council, NZ Symphony Orchestra and Victoria University.
The plan has changed several times due to earthquake-strengthening cost blowouts and other lease issues.
In February, the council announced the university’s School of Music will lease space in the revamped Central Library for administration, performance and practice areas.
Since the Town Hall was declared earthquake-prone and closed in 2013, the cost of the work has grown from $43m to $60m to $90m to $112m and, last year, to $182m.
The cost escalation has been put down to the condition of the building and the ground it sits on is worse than expected.
But council officials hope they can avoid the worst-case scenario and deliver the project for $264m.
The Town Hall is due to be completed in early 2027.
Georgina Campbell is a Wellington-based reporter who has a particular interest in local government, transport, and seismic issues. She joined the Herald in 2019 after working as a broadcast journalist.
Ethan Manera is a multimedia journalist based in Wellington. He joined NZME in 2023 and is interested in politics, local issues, and the Public Service. Ethan is always on the lookout for a story, he can be emailed at ethan.manera@nzme.co.nz or messaged on X (formerly Twitter) @ethanjmanera