Cafe may be on the menu near loop walkway

Whangarei District Council is looking at ways to develop the vacant site adjacent to the Te Matau O Pohe bridge. Photo / John Stone

A Whangarei District Council committee has agreed to explore requests from businesses to develop a cafe or restaurant, or a number of leisure-based businesses, at the vacant site beside Te Matau O Pohe due to the success of the Hatea Loop walkway.

Chairman of the 20/20 Inner City Revitalisation Committee, Cr Phil Halse, noted at a meeting of the committee last week that the Hatea Loop walkway was a success story but left the council with a need to plan the development of the vacant site.

WDC is now calling for proposals from people interested in developing the site with WDC.

Regardless of the ultimate development WDC would be considering a long-term lease and/or sale of the site, partnering with the business involved to provide public toilets and car parking at the site.

It is hoped that WDC would advertise for requests for proposals (RFPs) in the coming months.

The car park is now being used by mobile coffee and food vendors during morning and weekend activities and is also being used by mobile home and freedom campers who park there overnight.

Patrons of the Northland Events Centre and Cobham Oval have also started using the 3500m2 site for overflow parking.

Mike Hibbert, WDC property manager said it was great to be able to capitalise on the work already done and to develop the area "without compromising the connectivity to the site". The property team had been approached informally by a number of business operators interested in using the site for a restaurant, car park, car dealership and storage unit park.

Whangarei Mayor Sheryl Mai said she hoped the scope could be widened to include other businesses, such as bicycle, scooter and roller blade hire companies.

"We don't want to exclude other options", she said, adding that the council could generate income from the site.

Councillors voted to support a public process to explore the options for a cafe or restaurant on a portion of the site, as well as the other leisure businesses.

Council would also look at the site to explore the storm water drain and synergies associated with the further development of the retail precinct at Okara.

WDC would maintain the majority of ownership to accommodate future access for the loop.

A cafe/restaurant option, councillors were told, would accommodate such preferences while adding value to the location and required amenities.