Rotorua's new market space, carparks and basketball court for Kuirau Park

A new-look Rotary Market space and basketball court area will be ready for summer. Photo / Stephen Parker

Residents finding it hard to find a spot to park for inner city work will soon have a new spot to go when the Kuirau Park market space is complete. The area will double as a new and bigger home to the ever popular Saturday morning Rotary Charity Market and is currently under construction. For those missing the free public basketball courts at Kuirau Park, there's some news for you too. Journalist Kelly Makiha finds out more about the project, why there has been a slight hold-up and whether basketballers can head to the park again this summer.

Work is progressing well at Kuirau Park that will soon see more week-day parking freed up for central city workers, an extended area for the Saturday Rotary Market and a new basketball court.

Work started on the upgrade on June 21 and is expected to be finished in October, in time for summer - but there will be a slight hold-up thanks to some unexpected tree stumps.

Rotorua Lakes Council sport, recreation and environment manager Rob Pitkethley said construction was progressing well a month after work on the site began.

What the new area at Kuirau Park will look like. Photo / Supplied

He said ground strength or geotechnical testing was carried out before the start of the works which confirmed that although the ground was soft, it was suitable for the planned construction.

Pitkethley said excavation of the market space area had since revealed a large number of buried tree stumps alongside Pukuatua St that were not detected by the ground strength tests.

Removal of the stumps had resulted in deeper excavation and more gravel being required to create the necessary foundation for the space.

"The additional work may add a couple of weeks to the construction time so it may take about 12 weeks to complete the work."

This is the first of a number of upgrades to be completed in Kuirau Park during the next few years.

The park has been identified as a significant asset with the potential to become a premier family-friendly location for both locals and visitors, he said.

"Building on improvements that have been staged throughout the park during the last six years, more areas will be upgraded to create a cohesive space that ties together and celebrates Rotorua's unique relationship with Te Arawa and geothermal activity."

The council worked in consultation with the Rotorua Rotary North Club to create the market space design.

"This will be a dual purpose space that will host the market on Saturdays and provide carparking and basketball facilities on all other days."

The Saturday morning Rotary Charity Market has become increasingly popular over the years and is run by Rotary North members who donate their time.

The Saturday morning Rotary Market in Kuirau Park is becoming more popular. Photo / File

By relocating the market to this area there is opportunity for Rotary to increase the number of stalls and thereby generate more revenue. All profits from the market are fed back into the community.

The basketball court will be rebuilt and be next to the new market space.

When the new market space was completed the council said it would continue with further upgrades which included planning and designing a geothermal water play space and adding interpretive signage and cultural elements.

A building at the site, occupied by Te Waiariki Purea Trust, was pulled down earlier this year to make way for the work.

Trust spokesman Laurie Durand said the trust moved to Fenton St at the end of last year to a bigger premises and the move had now worked out well for them.

He said he was pleased the basketball court would be retained because he knew the courts were popular, particularly with young people.

What will be at the new space:
• A new paved market space that will double as a carpark during weekdays
• New footpaths and access areas
• Bio-retention gardens (or rain gardens) to improve drainage
• New full-size basketball court