Jeweller Nick Cowley, from The Refinery on Pukuatua St. Photo / Andrew Warner
Jeweller Nick Cowley, from The Refinery on Pukuatua St. Photo / Andrew Warner
Inner-city living, moving the courthouse and more art are some of the ways Rotorua's CBD could be spruced up, businesses and residents say.
Earlier this week Rotorua Chamber of Commerce Bryce Heard said there would "never be a better time to come up with a brave new planfor the CBD" than post-Covid-19.
He was in favour of more Māori architecture while Rotorua mayor Steve Chadwick told the Rotorua Daily Post she would like to see more inner-city living.
She said the council had improved intersections, safety, beautification and gathering spaces in recent years, as well as establishing markets and other events to bring people into the CBD.
An aerial shot of the Rotorua Night Markets on Tutanekai St. Photo / File
Business owners told the Rotorua Daily Post what they would like to see done to rejuvenate the inner city.
Jeweller Nick Cowley, who owns and operates The Refinery on Pukuatua St, believes bringing more living spaces into the CBD would stop it from "emptying out".
"Maybe even if each business had another layer where owners could live above ... Or we could make shops smaller and have the accommodation behind it.
"That could mean reduced rent for the people running businesses," he said.
Cowley also said a lot of people stopped to look at the murals in the CBD.
"It would be great if we could put more murals in the blank spaces."
The assistant manager of The Health Shop on Eruera St, Orléa Rayne, said Rotorua's music and interactive installation events for people of all ages had brought people into the city centre in the past.
She said Rotorua's parking prices, availability and payment system needed improvement on streets that fed into Tutanekai St, however, she would like to see vehicles kept out of Tutanekai St itself.
"It would be good if more - or all of - Tutanekai St was for pedestrians, the way it is for the Night Markets. If you think of places in Europe where there is pedestrian access only, something like them."
Sawan Nagra, manager of Pro Supplements Rotorua on Tutanekai St, said improvements to the likes of Te Manawa had made the city centre more attractive.
"The Night Markets have also done a good job of bringing people in."
Pukeroa Oruawhata Group general manager Peter Faulkner. Photo / File
Pukeroa Oruawhata Group's developments include inner-city sites such as the Rotorua Central Mall.
The group's general manager, Peter Faulkner, said moving the Rotorua courthouse could give "a more consistent feel to our main shopping street".
He also said rethinking the city's capital-based value system for rates, would support more CBD developments.
"If you have a building and you spend money on it, the footprint and the utilisation of it don't necessarily increase but the rates increase."
Evolve Rotorua spokesman Ben Sandford suggested making better use of empty shops.
"Can we use them as temporary spaces for artists or community activities like yoga and community talks? If not can we at least put amazing images of local scenery or people in the windows to make them look good?
"At night we could do so much more with lighting and visual effects. Look what the Redwoods Treewalk has done to the forest at night, why can't we do the same in the CBD?"
He supported pedestrianisation of Tutanekai St and said Rotorua needed more events in the inner city.
"Outdoor movies, concerts, inner-city sport: We need to give people things to do in the inner city and a way to engage them. The night market is a classic good example of this. We've created the market and people love it and come to it filling up the CBD."
Former Rotorua Lakes councillor Karen Hunt at Eat Streat. Photo / File
Karen Hunt held the inner city revitalisation portfolio when she was on the Rotorua Lakes Council but did not seek re-election last year.
She told the Rotorua Daily Post there was "a fantastic opportunity and appetite for change" post-Covid-19, for Rotorua's CBD.
"All cities need innovation on a regular basis ... We need to build a city for our mokopuna and tamariki rather than the one we are attached to."
However, Hunt said change would not happen overnight and "public consultation is a huge part of it".
Street view: How can we bring more people into the Rotorua CBD?
Bernadine Pokai. Photo / Samantha Olley
The people who work on the gardens - what a great job they're doing. It's those people that keep Rotorua looking beautiful. I also love all the Māori artwork. We have got some amazing talent here. The more the merrier.
Bernadine Pokai, 56,
Lynmore
Jazmin Tamou. Photo / Samantha Olley
I would like to see more people living in the city centre. It makes you feel safer, especially when there is a variety of people.
Jazmin Tamou, 36,
Lynmore
Neville Stewart. Photo / Samantha Olley
I'm a great advocate for things like flowers and hanging baskets similar to what Ngongotahā has got. For minimal overall cost, it really lifts the place.
Neville Stewart, 68
Ngongotahā
Kevin Yoo. Photo / Samantha Olley
Maybe more playgrounds. I have kids so they like them and playgrounds bring parents too.
