Heskett hopes that if approved the Sky Garden tower could be up to 100 metres tall. Photo / Supplied
A planned 100 metre tower with a restaurant, garden and bar, bungee jump and slide overlooking the river in the heart of Hamilton's CBD aims to put the city firmly on the international tourism map alongside world famous icons like the Sydney Opera House and Big Ben.
The so-called Sky Garden is the dream of Hamilton man John Heskett, 28, who sold his scaffolding business to leapfrog into the tourism Industry. The tower could cost up to $20 million and would be unique to New Zealand in that it would be built entirely of timber.
It would be following suit from other famous timber buildings around the world including the Brock Commons Tallwood House in British Columbia which is an 18-storey timber skyscraper.
"Timber is actually some of the strongest construction material in the world. My friend who is designing these huge timber structures in Singapore said I shouldn't build the tower out of steel but out of timber," Heskett said.
"You can do nearly anything with timber and the strength of it is nearly the same as steel."
The Sky Garden tower was originally planned to be built in Waitomo, but resource consent issues meant the region missed out.
He began looking at other possible locations, including Hamilton and in recent weeks has received city council encouragement to build it behind the Hamilton's Art Post in Victoria St on the carpark beside Waikato Museum near the soon to be built Waikato Regional Theatre.
Heskett said ever since the proposal of building the tower in Hamilton was presented to him, he has not stopped thinking of all different features he could possibly have with it in a more urban location.
"It originally started as a bungee tower, but now we are wanting to swing people across the Waikato River, we still want the bungee jump, but this will also have a restaurant, a bar and also a slide that can take people down as well.
"I still need to firm up what the tower could be in Hamilton, but that's part of the process.
"The Waitomo site turned out to be the most important hill, culturally, in the King Country on our backdoor step, which had a pa on it at some stage; so heritage New Zealand placed a wahi tapu on the site," he said.
The King Country's loss is Hamilton's gain as a group of Hamilton city councillors, led by Economic and Development committee chairman Ryan Hamilton, are working to have the tower built behind the Hamilton's Art Post.
"When you look across Hamilton there are not many tall buildings, and there are not many beautiful buildings, so what this tower will do is put Hamilton on the map with icons such as the Sydney Opera House and Auckland's Sky Tower," Heskett said.
"I want people to be driving down the new Waikato Expressway in a few years and look to the right to see this unique timber tower dominating the horizon.
"We have a city that is slowly turning, and opening up towards the river and this will create a tourism precinct in Hamilton with the museum, theatre and also the new jetty being built there as well."
Work on the jetty started this week and it will be a regular river stop for tourist and commuter boats.
Heskett said he wanted to build the tower as he loves being up high, after first being afraid of heights, but also that it will give tourists and New Zealanders to view the Waikato in a unique perspective, something which he thinks is missing from the city and the region.
He said he has had many people contact him in regards to funding the project which, originally for the Waitomo site, would cost $17 million.
"It could even be cheaper to build in Hamilton as some of the infrastructure won't be needed as it is already there, but I just need to get the resource consent across the line, at the end of the day I have to respect the council, the community and the local iwi as well and hopefully we can come up with something that proudly displays our community.
"I don't want to jinx when we could start building the tower, as I have said it on four occasions and each time it hasn't happened, so I'm just going to let it run its course, but hopefully we can get something going over the next year, alongside the Regional Theatre which should get under way early next year."
The proposed project has been met with positivity by councillors and Mangai Māori alike, with Ryan Hamilton calling the tower the X-factor Hamilton is missing.
"It's just wow. This is very exciting and could be the missing 'X-factor' piece the city has been missing. With integrations and connections to the new regional theatre, the proposed foot bridge, the museum, the gardens, this could be very significant," Hamilton said.
"It's a once in a generation opportunity for our city. Obviously there is a lot more talking to do with elected members, iwi and our community stakeholders but there is no doubt it is an exciting prospect.
"With an extra attraction factor to our city and particularly our CBD it could contribute to the elusive overnight stay we have been seeking. It would also boost our hospitality sector and night time economy not to mention the employment opportunities."
For the previous two terms of council, Hamilton City Council has been working with Hamilton and Waikato Tourism to create an attraction which would keep tourists in Hamilton overnight, rather than making day visits to the city.
"There will be a need in the near future to increase our accommodation offerings in the city, this type of project would give us the volume to make it stack up," Hamilton said.
Deputy mayor Geoff Taylor, who chairs the River Plan taskforce, joined Hamilton in praising the tower project, saying it would create a significant tourism precinct.
"If we can work with the developers to do something cool with the buildings we bought on Victoria St in the last council term, whatever we do on either side of the theatre is going to be crucial," Taylor said.
"If we can make a promenade either side, then you have the Ferry Bank pedestrian bridge which I'm pushing hard for which I want to see built by 2024, you are starting to get some exciting things happening in that area. It will be the place to be and imagine if we can get the Sky Garden as well."
Hamilton City Council's Mangai Māori, who are the Māori representatives on the council, Norm Hill, who sits on the CBD/River Plan Advisory Group, said the Sky Garden could be a significant attraction for Hamilton, that he would support it providing the site does not have any cultural significance.
"As long as it aligns to the appropriate cultural and environmental plans for the Waikato river and Kirikiriroa. We need to ensure that the site is culturally safe for it," Hill said.
"It will add a uniqueness which we don't have in Kirikiriroa, I had a view of doing something similar where you can get a good level of perspective to see the beauty of the Waikato River and its cultural scape.
"We want something like this to connect with the river's beauty and for people to connect with it."
Hamilton mayor Paula Southgate said the proposed tower would be a wow factor for the city, but process had to be followed.
"I of course would be in support of anything that will make Hamilton better and this is one such project, but we would also have to follow the proper processes as well," Southgate said.
"We have the long term plan coming up so this is the best time for these discussions to be held and hopefully we can working something out."
Hamilton and Waikato Tourism chief executive Jason Dawson said it was crucial that whatever was built on the siteconnected with the cultural precinct of Hamilton.
"It is a golden site, it is in the heart of this new cultural precinct of the city and as long as it ties in with the aspirations of what we want to connect the river and city, and to provide an opportunity for the public and paying patrons can experience it whatever that is," Dawson said.
"An elevated hospitality experience would make it iconic and a design that makes it attractive, and something that can be used at night like the Sky Tower, or wherever it can hold events on top or below just to add to our visitor experience."
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