The Arts Centre is proposing to host a maximum of 33 food trucks operating for up to 12 hours a day, seven days a week.
City council head of planning Mark Stevenson said the council and The Arts Centre are discussing the proposal before the resource consent application is officially submitted.
“As the Arts Centre is a heritage setting, consideration must be given to potential impacts on heritage values,” he said.
It includes how the food truck market would impact the visibility of The Arts Centre’s heritage buildings.
The Central City Business Association strongly opposes the market saying the competition will harm business.
They are calling for the end of city council funding to The Arts Centre if the market goes ahead.
Another sticking point for association members is the rates they already pay towards subsidising The Arts Centre.
The city council has committed to giving the centre $5.5 million over the next decade.
The Arts Centre declined to answer questions from The Star about the negotiations with the city council or how the application being put on hold might affect plans for the market.
Said a spokesperson: “We continue to work constructively with council to negotiate the conditions of consent. We do not wish to comment until that work is concluded.”
No decision on publicly notifying the consent has been made. A public notification would allow the public to make submissions on the proposal.
