KEY POINTS:
Onehunga is preparing to become a proud railway town again - on a line going to an airport this time - with help from architecture students with grand visions.
Seventeen ambitious designs by senior students of Unitec's architecture school for a new railway station off Onehunga Mall were put on public display by the town's business association last night, to prepare for the re-opening of a branch line by the end of next year.
Ontrack and the Auckland Regional Transport Authority are to reopen the line to scheduled half-hourly passenger services for the first time since 1973 - which was a century after a rail connection was extended to steamships plying Manukau Harbour.
The fourth-year students were given a map of an 8000sq m block of land which Auckland Regional Council has bought for $8 million for "rail-related" facilities at 109-111 Onehunga Mall, and told to put all their creative energies to play.
"We asked them to go for what they felt would be the gold standard," said Onehunga Business Association manager Amanda Kinzett.
They were told to not only design a multi-use centre around and above the station - to include shops, offices, apartments and park and ride spaces - but also to "future-proof" it for rail links to the airport and to Avondale via tunnels which the regional transport authority has proposed between Onehunga and Hillsborough.
Many of the designs also included such facilities as a cinema and a hotel, which were illustrated by computerised "walk through" animations and which student Tim Graham said could offer transit accommodation and a conference centre to air travellers.
Although several such hotels existed near the airport, he said some travellers might prefer to take a short train trip to Onehunga for the experience of staying in a community setting.
Architecture school project co-ordinator Graeme McConchie said Unitec was pleased to help Onehunga by "seeding the project with ideas" for consideration by transport planners.
Ms Kinzett said the business association would award financial prizes to the top entries, and small gifts to all participants. It would send their work to the regional council.
Mangere-based regional councillor Brent Morrissey said he was delighted with the students' efforts towards reinstating Onehunga as an important gateway to Auckland.
He said the large site offered great opportunities for a multi-faceted community development and transport hub as an extension of Onehunga Mall.
He praised the business association for encouraging the Onehunga community to participate in planning for the site.
