Source: Auckland Council
A new shared space is coming to the city centre with work commencing in March to transform Federal Street between Mayoral Drive and Wellesley Street into a safer space for pedestrians. This is part of a wider programme creating a network of inviting, people-friendly laneways in the city centre.
The Federal Street Stage 2 upgrade will turn this section of Federal Street into a high-quality shared space for the many people who walk or cycle through Federal Street, work in the area, and for those who call Federal Street home.
When it’s complete in early 2022, the street will boast more inviting places to sit and relax, new native trees and plantings and enhanced lighting to support a people-friendly space. Raingardens will also be installed to filter stormwater and improve the runoff that flows into our waterways.
Waitematā and Gulf ward Councillor Pippa Coom says this project continues the work already underway to make the city centre more people-friendly for the thousands of people that use the city centre every day.
“This area of the city centre is already bustling with activity, and when City Rail Link and the new station at Aotea open, which is expected to be New Zealand’s busiest station, there will be even more people with access to the heart of the city centre and to Federal Street.”
“Improvements to our city-centre streets to give more space to those on foot or bike and the growing number of people choosing to live in the city centre is crucial to ensure we can create an attractive and accessible city centre.”
The project features a design narrative, developed in partnership with mana whenua, referencing ideas of compassion, community, home and a journey of wellbeing. This will be reflected through the choice of warmer paving materials, the design of seating and shelter along the street to encourage people to come together, and the use of native planting including pūriri, tānekaha, rewarewa and white maire trees.
John Fillmore Contracting Limited (JFC) will be delivering the project. JFC are experienced in the delivery of complex streetscape projects in the city centre.
Access to shops, homes and businesses on Federal Street will remain open throughout construction, and a Stakeholder Liaison Manager appointed by JFC will liaise with and assist local businesses and community members during the project.
Auckland Transport consulted with the community on the proposed upgrade in November 2017 and 75 per cent of submitters supported the proposed design.
This project has been fully funded by the City Centre Targeted Rate (CCTR) which is an additional rate that is paid by all commercial and residential property owners in the city centre. This rate helps to build a strong city centre, which is essential for the prosperity and well-being of the entire Auckland region.
Chair of the Auckland City Centre Advisory Board, Viv Beck, says that “the Federal Street upgrade, once finished, will be a great new space in the city centre and will improve connections for people. Funding from the city centre targeted rate enables quality improvements to be made to the amenity and experience of our city centre, and we have seen this with earlier projects such as O’Connell Street and St Patrick’s Square.”
The Auckland City Mission HomeGround development will be ongoing during the streetscape upgrade and the project teams are working closely together to coordinate the sequence of construction.
To find out more about the Federal Street Upgrade please visit Progress AKL.
