KEY POINTS:
The concept of a vibrant night market in Auckland's CBD is gaining momentum.
A Facebook group has tapped into a "latent need" for a street night market in the inner city, says Kelvin Aris, co-creator of the Auckland Night Markets group.
The Facebook group Mr Aris set up with Anton Lush has well over 2000 members and public support of the night market concept is growing daily.
The two are connecting with people who would like to help find a home for a night market that "offers good food from everywhere, entertainment, shopping, a meeting point and the chance to take in the sights, sounds, smells and diverse pleasures a city of 1.5 million people has to offer".
Mr Aris says Auckland is missing street life and a nightlife that does not involve going into bars and movie complexes or restaurants.
"The night markets would not compete with those things, but it would actually bring people into the city."
Melbourne's Queen Victoria Market, the Southern Hemisphere's largest open-air market, attracted over 9.5 million visitors last year.
"People treat it as the launching pad for the evening. You can meet friends, have a few drinks, check out a band. That's the sort of thing that seems to be lacking in Auckland."
The chief executive of Heart of the City, Alex Swney, said he was not aware of the night market concept for Auckland but says it sounds like a great idea.
"Night markets could really meet a need and that market didn't exist in the CBD five years ago, but with the density of residential housing in the CBD that's changing," said Mr Swney.
The markets could cater to the 25,000 people living in the CBD as well as 80,000 city workers.
"It sounds like a strong economic model and a model that would bring some life to the city. There's a whole lot of theatre that goes with these things which is really quite attractive," said Mr Swney.
The concept has captured imaginations and the group has had lots of offers of support, but Mr Aris says he is aware it could take some time to get off the ground.
"It'll come down to us sticking at it and getting it through the appropriate channels.
"We want to drive it and guide it as far as we can, but ultimately it's going to be a people's initiative through a collaborative approach and that includes the council," said Mr Aris.
But the night market concept comes at a time when the Auckland City Council does not seem interested in leading a process to set up markets, especially as it cannot find a new location for the markets currently at Aotea Square.
Auckland City Council's group manager of CBD projects, David Jones, said the council and The Edge, which run the market, looked at a number of possible venues for Aotea Markets once the Aotea Square redevelopment project starts, but found none were suitable.
He said he was aware of the Auckland Night Markets group and said he would be willing to discuss the concept.
There are four markets in the CBD: the Saturday morning Farmers'Market at Britomart, the K RdMarket which runs for three hourson Saturdays, the Aotea Square Markets and the daily Victoria Park Market.
