Ambitious plans for downtown Auckland

Artist impression of the Auckland waterfront.

An ambitious wishlist of 16 projects to transform downtown Auckland is being released today. Its aims are more generous public space, better connections with the waterfront and big changes to public transport and driving in the city.

Among the projects are an early start on the $2.4 billion city rail link at the Britomart end, a $300 million redevelopment of the Downtown Shopping Centre, expanding public spaces stepping down to the water's edge on either side of the Ferry Building, turning Quay St into a largely pedestrianised boulevard, a new bus interchange and improved ferry facilities.

Councillors will formally receive the Downtown Framework today, a long-awaited piece of work to help them to make future investment and development decisions.

Many of the projects are uncosted and have to go through a rigorous process as part of a new 10-year budget, which includes $7.5 billion of proposed cuts in capital spending and running costs.

Rick Walden, who heads the council body co-ordinating and focusing downtown activities, said 12 of the 16 projects were likely to occur over the next decade.

Two key projects that will trigger a lot of development are Precinct Properties' redevelopment of the shopping centre and the city rail link.

Auckland Mayor Len Brown wants to kickstart a $250 million cut-and-cover section of the link from Britomart, under the shopping centre and up much of Albert St in conjunction with Precinct's own construction timeframe, starting in 2016.

With the likely sale of Queen Elizabeth Square to Precinct for a three-storey retail podium and 36-storey commercial skyscraper above, the council plans to move buses from Lower Queen St to Lower Albert St.

That will allow Lower Queen St to become a pedestrianised public space and proceeds from the sale of the square to go towards upgrading three waterfront spaces for improvement - the Ferry Basin at the foot of Lower Albert St, around the Ferry Building and the base of Queens Wharf, and the Admiralty Steps east of Queens Wharf.

The council has called for expressions of interest from design consultants to change Quay St into a pedestrianised boulevard between Lower Hobson St and Britomart Place.

The prospect of limiting part of Quay St is strongly opposed by residents of the eastern suburbs, who use Tamaki Drive and Quay St to commute towork.

Among projects on the long-term horizon are a plan to remove the Hobson St flyover to create a plaza near the Tepid Baths and redevelop the Downtown carparking, which the council says is one of the last development sites on the waterfront.

Mayor Brown declined to comment on the Downtown Framework before it was released today.