Taking the pulse on Porirua?s revitalisation
?There is nowhere nice for the city?s 7000 workers to sit and eat their lunch,? said Porirua City Council mayor Jenny Brash at a meeting last week unveiling the city revitalisation plan. The meeting was attended by Porirua?s business and property owners, and Porirua City Council CEO Roger Blakeley said public-private partnerships and enticing more people into the CBD are vital for the plan?s success. $12.3 million has been set aside to kick-start the developments over 10 years. ?We firstly need to create an environment that people want to be in, with cafes and restaurants, similar to the success at Jackson Street in Petone. ?We will need to join in partnership with developers to make this work,? said Mr Blakeley. Seven million people visit the city every year and increasing that foot traffic is vital, he said. Another cornerstone in the development plan is the attraction of private partners to assist with revitalisation. The only large company to enter the city in the past 10 years was PGG Wrightson, but they have since packed up shop. PCC Economic development manager Ray Cowles said a large call-centre contract is currently on the table for council, which would bring 700 workers into the city and help fill a large number of vacant offices. ?We missed an opportunity like this a few years back, and we will do our utmost not to lose this one,? Mr Cowles said. He said the ?changing shape? of retail in the city is not desired and he wants a ?main street experience? to reduce the CBD?s reliance on the mall. ?We are very strong in retail and if we add a main street to that we will become a powerful destination. ?The city centre has not moved in step with what people want, and how they want to shop,? said Mr Cowles. Porirua has the fourth highest average income in New Zealand, with one of the highest GDP growths, and the council?s vision is to create a regional business hub. The PCC began planning the revitalisation in 2007, and Mr Cowles says they have not dropped the ball on regional development. ?The Johnsonville development will affect everyone in its catchment; it will have an effect on us. ?Porirua will need to have its own unique attraction,? he said. Mr Cowles said the diversity of the city is an advantage for business, because of the mixed pool of skilled labour to draw from. The city has a number of advantages over Wellington in terms of cost saving, and council is looking to accommodate business further with district plan changes and special rates. At the meeting various members of the audience called for work to begin immediately on Hagley Street developments as a show of faith the council was committed to the works. Debate also ensued over the removal of the canopies. A member of the crowd said the wind-tunnel effect needs attention, and United Travel workers claimed they value the canopies on wet and windy days. A businessperson in the audience said that it would be a ?tall order to increase the [Porirua] city population?. Mr Blakeley and his staff said population growth would be encouraged by more polytechnic students flatting in the city, the creation of attractive apartments with balconies, and the Aotea housing block development. What do you think: how would you like the city centre to be revitalised, and do you think the canopies should come down? Phone The Northern Courier on 237 3208 or email
