The new Memorial Plaza at the Rotorua Lakefront is now complete.
Previously just the thoroughfare Memorial Drive, it has been transformed into a new plaza providing a larger variety of parking options for lakefront visitors and space for events and markets.
Rotorua Lakes Council said 77 new parking spaces have been created, as well as new footpaths, kerbing, landscaping and seating.
Infrastructure has also been upgraded to improve the management of stormwater in the area.
Local company Campbell Infrastructure began work on this section of the lakefront redevelopment in September 2020 and the completed plaza was blessed last week by Kingi Biddle on behalf of Ngāti Whakaue.
The council's operations group manager Jocelyn Mikaere said it was fantastic to see that stage of the lakefront redevelopment complete.
"Memorial Plaza will now become one of the main lakefront meeting places and car parks. It is the first of a number of stages that will be finished at the lakefront throughout this year.
"The project is really starting to take shape and it's exciting to see the vision for this special place come to life."
Mikaere said the new lakefront design aimed to provide more space for people to gather, play, exercise and relax.
"A key part of this was reconnecting the land and the water, as well as creating spaces for recreation that are uninterrupted by roads and vehicles. The existing road along the lake edge will eventually be removed to prioritise pedestrian and cycle movement.
"To balance the need for parking, a car park will also be constructed on the other side of the lakefront, off Lake Rd, further down the track," Mikaere said.
People are asked to stay off the newly planted grass at the plaza to give it a chance to grow.
Campbell Infrastructure will now begin work on the new playground extension initially in the area west of the existing playground.
The new part of the playground will include brand new play equipment including a flying fox, a custom climbing tower with a slide, loop tracks, and a half basketball court.
Campbell Infrastructure will also be installing toddler-specific play equipment later in the year. Once complete, the lakefront playground will be almost three times as big as the existing playground.
A brand new toilet block will also be built within the vicinity of the new playground with both the new playground and toilet block scheduled to be complete by the end of this year.
HEB Construction is building a new boardwalk and upgrading the lake edge with new terracing to improve access to the lake. This work is scheduled to be complete later this year.
Work on the western end of the lakefront, including space for commercial activities, has moved into the detailed design phase. Procurement for architectural services for the wharewaka and potential commercial space is complete and local company DCA Architects will be carrying out this work.
Construction in this area will begin later this year.
In 2018, a $19.9 million Government investment managed by the Provincial Development Unit (PDU) was announced for the project.
This is being used alongside $20.1m of council funding to transform this recreational, economic and cultural resource. In July 2020, an additional $1m investment managed by the PDU was announced to progress work on the cultural design foundation for the lakefront project.
The cultural foundation will consist of artwork, interpretation and design, with local artists creating carved pou, and information panels that will tell the pakiwaitara (stories) of mana whenua.