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Auckland City Council is planning a new park on the fringes of the central city after buying the Placemakers hardware and timber yard in Cook St for $19.35 million.
The site is a little over 0.5ha and will be turned into public open space after Placemakers' lease expires in May 2012. It occupies a triangle of land just off the busy Cook St motorway exit, Union St and Sam Wrigley St.
The area is a mix of commercial and newer residential development, but the introduction of the Victoria Quarter Plan will bring moreapartments and better urban design on the western slopes betweenthe city and Victoria Park.
Arts, culture and recreation chairman Greg Moyle said any chance to buy land close to the central city, with its growing population, was good.
The Placemakers site is close to Victoria Park, but cut off by Cook St.
It would probably be developed for passive, rather than sports use.
The council is to start exploring the potential for events and new community facilities. The purchase has been funded from development contributions for open space purposes.
