Street's stylish revamp to cost $1.1m

LAWRENCE GULLERY
It will be a street like no other in town.
Hastings Street south - in Hastings - has been earmarked for a complete revamp, costing $1.1 million, to bring it into line with the Hawke's Bay Opera House development.
The development is part of the Hastings District Council (HDC) strategy for the CBD, which also includes upgrades to Russell Street leading towards KMart, Karamu Road toward the civic centre and Market Street leading into the large-format retail centre proposed for Nelson Park.
HDC landmarks manager Colin Hosford said the two streets which border the opera house, Eastbourne Street and Heretaunga Street east, were included in the upgrade plan.
A developer had also approached the council about building an "international hotel" on the corner of Eastbourne and Warren streets, located on the same commercial block as the opera house.
"That offers huge potential linking with the Opera House. It could give people a place to stay while coming to the Opera House," Mr Hosford said.
It was envisaged this particular block in the CBD could be developed as a "cultural precinct".
Heretaunga Street south's "complete facelift" would include a new lighting system with banner poles for promotions, an asphalt roadway, and red clay pavers and it would be lined with olive and palm trees, he said.
The project was expected to begin in July and be completed by November.
"We are running to a tight schedule but it is do-able because we haven't got any retailers on that street. We just have to operate with our own staff at the opera house. "Because we haven't got a constant flow of traffic, we have the chance to close the road off and then we can make huge progress," Mr Hosford said.
The development plans for the street upgrade would go to tender in May.
"We've given four months to complete the project but we are hoping to compress that time - but that comes down to negotiations with the tender.
"A lot of the work is paving and that's a major factor, we want it to complement the work that has already been done on the Opera House," he said.
Other streets targeted for upgrade by the council as part of the CBD strategy include Heretaunga Street East, heading towards the town centre and clock tower.
The upgrade would continue over into Heretaunga Street West and be completed in three years, Mr Hosford said.
Market and Russell streets would also be looked at, pending approval of the Nelson Park retail centre development. It was expected any road upgrades for the centre would be funded by the sale of the park and not drawn from the council's budget for the CBD strategy.
"We could create a new intersection at Market and Russell streets, which leads traffic on to St Aubyn Street to go to the large format retail centre.
"We want to make access across that road (St Aubyn) easier," Mr Hosford said.
There would also be enhancements to Karamu Road which could include the addition of trees lining the road leading to a "focal point" structure at the civic centre, next to the Hastings library.