The Hawke's Bay Opera House building is fantastic, but a public square in front of it would really make it shine. Photo / Supplied
The Hawke's Bay Opera House building is fantastic, but a public square in front of it would really make it shine. Photo / Supplied
Editorial: If I could take my pick of 'organisation of the year' for Hawke's Bay in 2020, I'd probably pick Hastings District Council.
The infighting that prompted a bizarre leak inquiry around local government elections time is largely gone, at least publicly.
In its place is a council making decisionsthat seem to be transforming Hastings' CBD.
Its investment in Eat Street on Heretaunga St East has the potential to be brilliant. The Toitoi Hawke's Bay Opera House renovations and the addition of a central city hotel are set to bring world-class acts here once borders reopen.
The finishing of Municipal Building reno required some urgent unbudgeted ratepayer dosh - a $5.5 million loan to be paid back over 25 years to be precise – but once it is, the nightlife and general vibrancy of the city will be leaps and bounds ahead of where it was even three years ago.
It makes it all the more surprising to see the council making what I feel is a mistake just across the road.
The demolition of the Wesley Methodist Church hall in December. Photo / Warren Buckland
The demolition of the Wesley Methodist Church hall (opposite Toitoi) was only decided upon in October, when the Government gave the parish more than $100,000 to build a new one.
But now that the hall has been dismantled, the potential of the area as an open public space has been revealed.
The Opera House is a fine piece of architecture, but it doesn't have the space to breathe at the moment. Look to any city in Europe and its best buildings are placed in squares where you can step back and appreciate them. If you surrounded the Eiffel Tower with similarly tall buildings, rather than the enormous park expanse that it sits in, it too would lose most of its impact.
The Hastings District Council in late 2019 granted the Sikh community a resource consent to build a new gurudwara (temple) on plains production land in Richmond Rd, which means its run-down building next door is soon to be up for grabs, if it hasn't been snapped up already.
Just imagine if this council had the foresight to secure both pieces of land, demolish the hall and gurudwara, pedestrianise Hastings St between Eastbourne and Heretaunga and build a public square around the Wesley Methodist Church.
Toitoi talks a big game about its buildings bringing the community inside, but one of the best ways to do that would be events outside.
Night markets, busking festivals, maybe even a central city farmer's market would work in that space. Fringe in the 'Stings would love it.
Another option, given the Pacific and Indian links to the church buildings in the area, would be for the council to create a sculptured space that champions Hastings' diversity and highlights how important immigrant labour is for the city.
Hastings is close to being a city that tourists could realistically choose as an option to stay in over Napier.
But when it comes to tourism, there's no room to drop the ball right in the heart of the area you've already invested tens of millions.
