Concept images for the new-look Phoenix Park in Mount Maunganui have been made available on Tauranga City Council's website ahead of a community consultation on Sunday (December 13) and Monday (December 14).

Displays at the Maunganui Road site, which is currently a car park, will reveal concept plans and new parking spaces to replace those lost by the development.

How the Mount's Phoenix Park could look following completion of the project. Photo: Supplied.

They'll be available on Sunday, from 8am-12pm, and Monday from 4pm-7pm. There's also more details and images on council's website along with an online feedback form.

The idea of transforming the Mount North commercial centre by redeveloping the par park was first put to council back in August 2013, by Bain McDonald and architect Graham Price.

Baine pointed out that council were sitting on around $3.8 million of development contributions for reserve land in the Mount infill area.

He suggested the reserves department use the funds to buy the land off the transport department and redevelop the park as an urban space.

Council readily agreed, and a community engagement process started with ideas being sought from the community.

'This proposal is not a playground,” says Bain, 'it is a place to relax and a place for activities; markets, concerts, outdoor movies and so on.

'It's a space for workers as well as vacationers, and because of this, it can add to the experience of being in the Mount.

'I've given them suggestions about bits of different parks, but not one park. You shouldn't copy someone else's park. You should design one, because the use of this one will be different to anywhere else and the Mount's different to anywhere else.”

Once the area is secured as an open space, further development can take place over time with feedback from the community, says Bain.

'You don't have to bomb in there and give the finished product in three months' time,” he explains.

An interactive water feature that becomes a hard space once the water has been turned off is just one suggestion for the space.

'Someone showed be a video of a water feature by the London Eye. It had people playing in it.

'It was almost like a water maze that turns itself off and on again, then when it is totally off and it becomes a hard space you can use for markets and so forth.

'You can use sculpture as a way to separate areas, but also create separation between people and things like that and contour as well.”

'I think there's lots of scope and it's important that it's done in a way that the community can take ownership in terms of feeling that it's part of their identity.”