THE ARTIST'S impression looks pretty nifty.
A colourful, lively suburb hub with a cafe, services and plenty of people. The proposed rejuvenation of Castlecliff is set for the next stage with a public meeting next week to discuss progress so far.
The council gave the project a budget of $225,000 and fortunately Progress Castlecliff has taken their time to get things right. It is looking to co-ordinate its own and the community's ideas with annual council spending in the area, such as roading. That means something like the development of the top three blocks of Rangiora St could be done within the next 18 months and within current budgets.
The suburb is crying out for champions and it looks like it has found some over the past couple of years - its own residents. The project is driven by people who live in the area and who will be guided by what other residents see as priorities.
It's a promising start and will need continued backing from council. It also needs some support from central government, who can assist with the services hub. The Government is currently selling, or trying to sell, a lot of houses in the area. Maybe some of this money could be reinvested in the community. Or they could be forward-looking - put some funding behind the Castlecliff Rejuvenation Project and those houses will be a lot easier to sell.
