A six-week independent review of plans to redevelop George St was announced by the Dunedin City Council hours after the first meeting of a new advisory group for Dunedin’s main street upgrade.
Dunedin Mayor Aaron Hawkins said in a statement issued this evening that Urbanism Plus director Kobus Mentz would review the project to make sure plans were still fit for purpose.
"George Street is the heart of our city and we are committed to getting this right," Mr Hawkins said in the statement.
"For a project of this scale, it’s entirely appropriate that we check that we’re still on track to deliver the best possible result for the city."
At present the council's plans are to transform the current thoroughfare from a car-oriented road into a one-way street that reduces traffic flow to 25% vehicles and 75% pedestrians and public space.
Today's meeting, the first meeting of the Central City Advisory Group, formed to provide for "inclusive engagement" on the detailed design of the controversial project, was chaired by Mr Hawkins and attended by dozens of stakeholders.
Earlier this month, the council would not say what aspect of the "ongoing detailed design" the new group would provide feedback on as the project progressed.
Representatives from two groups who lobbied to be a part of the group - Urban Access Dunedin Incorporated chairman Alan Race and the Central City Business Group’s Neil Gaudin - could not say what the advisory group would actually advise on at the time.
This evening's council statement said the council gave the members of the advisory group an undertaking it would ‘‘not proceed to the detailed design stage until after the review has been completed’’.
"The review will consider work to date and whether evidence supports the proposed design," the statement said.
The council’s proposed engagement approach would also be reviewed and the independent reviewer would advise "how best to turn the concept design into a successful retail precinct".
The results would be presented to the group in September.
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The George St destruction should be put opn hold until after the next council elections.
Should the Greens regain control then they can feel free to destroy as many Dunedin businesses as they want. However any other incoming roup may see fit to retain George St as a shopping and business destination.
Let the people decide, not a bunch of anti car zealots.
I don't follow your logic (or lack thereof).
So it's ok for the greens to "destroy businesses" after the next election? What is different about the next election?
Why can't they destroy businesses now? They won the last election didn't they (less than a year ago).
You are happy to see destruction in three years time, but not at the moment thanks.
I'd still not trust Hawkins as far as I could show him, why is an organisation/ company that is global deciding what Hawkins wants, Why are the people of Dunedin's people not deciding, How much is this costing? Is it just another way for Hawkins and the such like to stack the Deck of Cards and say we done the research it all stacks up so we are going a head anyway, Who selected this company is it really an independent company, Whats another couple of million in the greater scheme of things to stack the deck of cards, Look what this company has planned over the world, bigger cities than Dunedin. Hawkins you really do think people are stupid.
The George Street 'plan' has been an utter omnishambles from the beginning. The council didn't have time to seriously consult stakeholders, but did have time to happily blow $40,000 painting those utterly pointless coloured dots on the road, making themselves a laughing stock in the national media.
At least they have now seen sense in that a complete pause and (re)review is in order.
Hopefully they will realise that the economy is contracting, and a serious belt-tightening is in order. Any future changes should be well-consulted, carefully planned, and conservative.
The key question they should ask themselves is "what problem are we actually trying to solve here?"
Unless there is considerable integration with the one-way system modifications, required for the new hospital build, then any changes will simply be a island within a confused urban mayhem.
The redevelopment of the CBD can not be viewed in isolation to broader developments that will hopefully still take place.
Take today's announcement regarding the new Trades Training Centre and the previously announced 450-bed, $90 million seven-storey residential college by the Uni in Oct 2019, also located on Forth St.
The whole George St plan needs to be binned and started afresh, just as the wharf development has disappeared off the radar due to changing times.
The single most important thing, that must remain, is the need for independent transport. We do not have the population nor the geography to focus too heavily on bus, bike and foot. If we do not then the CBD will simply become an extension of the Uni and Poly campuses with it's academic based timetable determining utilisation and retail focus.
If that was to happen you will have created a two tiered city with the remaining city residents focusing on South Dunedin for its services.
Ît looks as if the DCC is responding to public pressure. Whether that is genuine or just to look good, whether it is only about perceived inclusive process or really about outcomes remains to be seen. Putting the ball in the court of a single expert who the Council choses and pays does not fill me with with confidence. Nor does the Council ‘s unwillingness to clarify the terms of reference and their appearance of sticking to what seems a completely arbitrary measure 75% of area as car prohibited. Sending a contentious issue off to a committee until all the fuss has had died down and protesters have forgotten about it all is a common ploy. From observing Hawkins’ behaviour in the past, I think he is a person who likes to get his own way somehow or other and I think what he wants is 75% of the land area as non-car traffic only.This is such a strange measurement of ‘success’ that I suspect it is something he wants to put on his CV to impress the Green Party because he would like to be on their Party list as an MP one day. Time will tell. But Hawkins must know that he has little chance of re-election as Mayor of Dunedin.
"At present the council's plans are to transform the current thoroughfare from a car-oriented road into a one-way street that reduces traffic flow to 25% vehicles and 75% pedestrians and public space"
And at the very same time, we will have a significant reduction in traffic flow down our main arterial routes, due to the hospital rebuild.
The question has to be asked, has this council gone stark raving mad?!!