The Big Fruit has had a big spruce-up and now it's the turn of the reserve surrounding it.
The latest stage of the Cromwell town centre redevelopment began this week and the focus is on the area around the giant fruit sculpture.
When the Cromwell Community Board considered the project a year ago, it decided the price tag was too high, so pruned various elements of the plans. The project was estimated to cost about $868,000 but initial tenders ranged from $1.24 million to $1.77 million.
The project is being funded out of reserves, and business people have been consulted. However, board members were uncomfortable with the escalation of costs.
A contract of $770,000 for the work was signed last month, the Lakes District and Central Otago News reported a fortnight ago.
Plantings and stone walls are included in the makeover, and new irrigation. The work should be completed by November.
The fruit sculpture was painted this year, at a cost of about $30,000.
