Through multiple rounds of site options, consultation, submissions and hearings, you’ve told us clearly that you want a modern, fit-for-purpose library and civic hub at the old site.
What’s now moving into construction is the result of careful planning, sound business cases and strong support from the community.
The civic precinct brings together three separate projects: a new library, a council meeting and public service facility, and accommodation for staff displaced by the closure of our earthquake-prone civic and library buildings.
These are all assets that belong to Napier’s community and we needed to make a plan for them.
Co-locating them on one site reduces duplication, saves on commercial leases and increases efficiency through shared services and infrastructure, not to mention the construction savings we make by pulling the three projects together.
This is more than a library. It’s a multi-purpose community hub returning to its historic home, the same central site where it stood for decades.
The new facility will offer you a contemporary library including makerspaces, youth areas, quiet rooms, meeting spaces, digital access and flexible facilities designed to reflect how we want to use public spaces today.
This site has long been a centre of civic activity in Napier.
Reactivating it with a future-focused facility honours that legacy just as our Napier people asked for, while providing vital space for community organisations and services.
Re-establishing a vibrant presence in the central city will also support nearby businesses and create an anchor point for locals and visitors.
Construction will be led by local contractors using primarily local suppliers. This is a win for our economy.
Early site works have begun. Main construction commences soon and is due to be completed by mid-2027.
Importantly, this development is financially responsible.
The full cost is budgeted and included in your current Ten-Year Plan. This received community support in submissions and has been signalled for the past eight years.
It is being funded within existing rates projections. We know the figures are big if looked at over the short term.
Napier, though, has the third-lowest rates of any city in the country and investment in its assets is essential.
This investment is not a distraction, it’s a core service.
We’ve invested more than $110 million into our water network in recent years, and we’ll keep going.
Cities also need spaces that bring us together, support culture and learning, and build belonging. This is also critical infrastructure for you, our people.
Our design and delivery team combines national expertise with strong local oversight.
Athfield Architects has designed a civic precinct that honours Napier’s heritage while meeting modern needs. The Building Intelligence Group leads project management, supported by a dedicated assurance team to monitor cost, risk and quality. With an Independent Advisory Panel and robust review processes in place, this governance model is why the project remains on time and on budget.
This project is progressing during an election year and the timing invites political point-scoring.
Good city leadership doesn’t kowtow to those chasing headlines instead of outcomes.
We can’t pause progress every campaign season.
This work has been years in the making, shaped by robust consultation, tested through business cases, adopted through long-term planning with community support.
Our job now is to deliver the plan Napier shaped, not rewrite it in pursuit of headlines.
Strong cities are built by leaders and communities who stand by well-made decisions, not those who walk away when it’s personally convenient.
This project is financially responsible, community-backed and future-focused.
It deals with infrastructure issues and delivers services to our people. It is the right project, at the right time, in the right place.
