CBD Redevelopment Plan

Initially, work will be carried out on the main entrances by the big roundabout near Tainui Street town entrance. It is planned to have plantings consistent with the Town Square, i.e. Pohutukawas and grasses, as well as a feature stone wall, welcome sign and sand blasted stone carving. Additional trees will be planted either side of the main entrance ways, creating a visual path to draw the eye to the entrance to town. Whilst not officially a carpark, it is noted that cars have been parking in the empty space beside Lord Street near the roundabout. This area will no longer be able to be used for parking once work on the entrance ways begins and the space will be incorporated into the overall design with planting and grass to enhance the overall positive impression.

The work on the entranceways is funded from a grant for this purpose from the Provincial Growth Fund and Council reserves.

Other work is also being carried out on improvements to the Greymouth CBD area. Council is working alongside the Greymouth Business and Promotions Association on a variety of beautification initiatives, such as floodwall artwork (complete), murals, additional planter boxes, lighting and interpretation panels.

There are plans to redo the existing gardens in the CBD area consistent with planting used in the Town Square and proposed entranceways, creating a cohesive and fresh look within our town. Signage and interpretation panels to tell stories from our history and community will be installed. Staff will also shortly start work on a CBD Parking Study to investigate if we have enough parking in the CBD; if not, how can it be increased; and directional signage to show people where such car parks are. These are all projects from the Greymouth CBD Redevelopment Plan.

There are lots of exciting projects in the pipeline to add vibrancy and an improved look to our CBD and we look forward to getting these underway.

* Greymouth CBD Redevelopment Forum is made up of representatives from Grey District Council, Development West Coast, Greymouth Business & Promotions Association and Mawhera Incorporation.

Background

A few years ago, Council carried out extensive public consultation on the renewal of our town centre, the outcome of which was the Urban Design Framework for CBD Renewal developed by Opus. This framework identified a range of projects to be implemented as a means of stimulating the local economy. The Town Square/Shared Street project was the first of these projects which has been implemented.

Even with the Urban Design Framework in place, there remained a need to provide for a cohesive approach to the CBD in the face of a general downturn in the economy and other expected changes in the future. Important factors influencing the CBD include a combination of internet buying, changing buyer approaches, the expected closure of some businesses in the face of these factors and the need to earthquake strengthen properties, with many land lease renewals falling due.

Council were successful in securing funding from the Government's Provincial Growth Fund (PGF) for a CBD Redevelopment Plan that builds upon the work already done by Opus and provides a framework with a regeneration focus that will see the CBD develop into a vibrant, progressive and interesting place, despite the challenges it is facing.

The CBD Redevelopment Plan has been developed by a consortium of Karen Remetis (Town Centre Development Group), James Lundy (Renew Christchurch) and Zoe Avery (4SIGHT Consulting), along with input from Council and the CBD Redevelopment Forum (consisting of Mawhera Incorporation, the Greymouth BPA, Development West Coast and chaired by Alex Cabrera of Tai Poutini Polytechnic).

Greymouth CBD Redevelopment Plan

In a nutshell, the CBD Redevelopment Plan identifies Greymouth's assets and how to utilise them. Council is excited about the plan and what it offers. There has been active cooperation and participation by Māwhera Incorporation, the Greymouth Business Promotion Association and Development West Coast in this process and together with the support of our community, we're satisfied we can make it work.

The plan introduces a combination of actions and initiatives to not only make the CBD into a cohesive unit but to also introduce vibrancy and sustainability. The key aim of the plan is to create a diverse and robust town centre that will be pivotal to the economic success of the West Coast.

There is a focus on a reduced core Greymouth CBD and implementation of certain actions, including:

• Making sure that the business community has strong, inclusive representation and input.
• Making the CBD more visually appealing through the introduction of trees and other greenery and introduction of colour and lighting.
• Introducing a stronger heritage focus, noting that our existing architecture is one of the defining aspects of the CBD and that upgrading existing buildings could be economically more efficient than building new buildings. Affordability of commercial space is an important focus.
• Introducing a stronger Iwi character in a CBD that is owned by the Iwi and which has a rich connection with Maoridom.
• Introducing a stronger residential component within the CBD in the form of second story residential apartments and, depending on the market, potentially a formal housing area. This initiative is especially important given the focus on generating a vibrant night life and foot traffic.
• Improving our gateways (entrances to town).

Greymouth CBD Redevelopment Plan (PDF, 13MB)