Rapidly rising demand for city centre car parking has seen council plans brought forward for a new parking building, while planned extensions to the Elizabeth Street parking building have been set back.
Tauranga City Council is going to public consultation on the new plan with a 650-space construction starting in 2016, but the extra floor on the Elizabeth St building has been put off until 2021.
The Elizabeth Street parking building is to be automated.
The $24 million project will provide parking in the short term to provide for unfulfilled and projected growth in demand. The costs relate to a 2013 Beca study based on the Harrington Street car park site.
There are three possible sites in the northern area of the CBD to choose from.
City developments that will impact parking supply and demand include the Durham Street tertiary campus, which from 2019 is expected to attract 1200 staff and students. Its construction will take up 127 off-street car parking spaces.
The Trustpower Building, also in Durham Street, will bring more than 300 people into the city. There are 60 carparks in the new Trustpower Building.
The redevelopment of the northern waterfront reclamation is going to remove 163 carparks, which could prove an issue for the redevelopment project because of necessary compromises made to retain parking.
Overall the city council expects to lose about 570 central city carparks over the next three years. The demand for leased parking currently outstrips supply and more than 300 car parks could be leased if provided in the next three years.
The procurement and business model options, and whether the council or a private developer will take on the work, are yet to be decided.
Also unclear is whether the builds will simply accommodate parking, or incorporate other businesses.
The city council also wants to go ahead with the automation of the Elizabeth Street and Durham Street carparks. The $500,000 project is also timed to begin in the 2016 financial year.
Staff costs on the two buildings are $240,000 a year. Automation is going to reduce staff costs to $80,000, with the payback time set at three-and-a-half years.
5 comments
What
Posted on 05-02-2015 09:48 | By philiphallen
So all of Owen Dippie's efforts painting the side of Harington House will disappear, what a waste of time for him.
But if parking is free?
Posted on 05-02-2015 10:26 | By Annalist
How is this going to be paid for if parking in the CBD becomes "free"? I can see the ratepayers having to pick up the tab. Let the whining retailers who want free parking to boost their businesses, organise and pay for any future parking buildings. Council should give the whole parking grizzles and management over to the retailer downtown group.
Secret Deal's
Posted on 05-02-2015 10:32 | By Gee9000
My understanding is that when the Kingsview Apartments were built, the developers did a secret deal with the then Councillors not to build a parking building, which would impede the view's and destroy the value of these apartment's, on the Harrington St site. From what I have been told and understand, payments were made and there is a paper trail hidden away. Maybe the council should be digging deep into the archives, having a good look at the records, before getting to excited about a parking building going up on Harrington St.
?
Posted on 05-02-2015 18:00 | By Capt_Kaveman
cost $240,000/yr spend $500,000 to save $180,000, id rather save the jobs and re contract it out, or give me 200k and ill have them open 24hrs a day, again Councillors love to spend $
crazy
Posted on 05-02-2015 19:04 | By rotovend
the current parking stations are not full all the time its just a waste of money. More public transport and a privat developer that builds a four level carpark with apartments above would make more sense. Get people moving into the city otherwise it aint going to get better for the shops
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