City Focus changes debated

Councillor and Inner City Revitalisation Strategy portfolio leader Karen Hunt spoke about the idea of opening the City Focus to slow-moving traffic at a meeting yesterday. Photo / Ben Fraser

Rotorua's City Focus could be in for a dramatic makeover in a bid to attract more people to the area - a decision that now rests in the local council's hands.

Dozens of central city business owners turned out to a public meeting last night to discuss an Inner City Focus Group proposal, which would see a series of changes made to the City Focus, including opening up the area to slow-moving traffic.

The results of the meeting will be reported to the Rotorua District Council, which will make the final decision.

Inner City Focus Group spokesman Mike Steiner said opening up the focus for slow-moving traffic would benefit the nearby retailers as it would bring more people to the area.

"We want to give it a new lease of life and really strengthen that spine between Eat Streat on one end and Rotorua Central on the other."

Mr Steiner said he wanted to see the idea trialled.

Councillor and Inner City Revitalisation Strategy portfolio leader Karen Hunt said opening the City Focus would give visitors an incentive to go through the area and explore it.

She compared the situation to a supermarket, saying that the aim was to slow visitors down so they could go through every aisle, rather than zoom around the edge of it.

Ms Hunt said trialling the idea could be achieved by placing plant boxes around the focus to guide traffic, which could easily be moved if it didn't work.

If the council agreed with the proposal, the trial could begin in October or November.

Other proposed changes to the City Focus were to remove its sails, add gardens or garden beds, and change the pavement so the area was at the same level. Changing the poles currently holding up the sails into some sort of light or water feature was another idea.

Extending the weekly Rotorua Night Market on to Haupapa St was also on the cards.