The revitalisation of Rotorua's inner city is about to step up a gear, with a raft of initiatives planned for the coming months.
Those leading the efforts say they are thrilled with the progress made since the Inner City Focus Group's first public meeting last October.
"More and more people are coming on board and are prepared to stand up and show their leadership and support others," said Rotorua district councillor Karen Hunt, who leads the council's Inner City Revitalisation Strategy portfolio.
"We are going to end up with a new-look city, that's the long-term goal."
On June 16, Inner City Focus Group founder Mike Steiner will host a second public meeting to recap what's been achieved so far, reveal details of upcoming initiatives and start discussion on a number of issues - among them the future of the controversial City Focus.
Mr Steiner said when the campaign started last year, he had no idea how the CBD's decline would be stopped.
"I just wasn't going to let it go any further down that track," he said.
"People wanted to see change, they put their hands up."
He said the involvement by the community, the council and businesses had lifted the group's goals beyond just sprucing up the city.
"We said as part of this we'll look at all the problems that we have and address them."
Everything the group was planning was "achievable and do-able", Mr Steiner said.
As reported in the Rotorua Daily Post yesterday, the Raising the Bar group aims to lift service standards throughout the city.
Other items to be discussed at next month's meeting include the following:
Intersection upgrades
An upgrade of the intersection of Eruera and Tutanekai Sts is "imminent", Mr Steiner said. It follows the recent upgrade of Pukuatua and Tutanekai Sts and will be followed over time by similar upgrades where Tutanekai St meets Pukaki, Haupapa and Arawa Sts.
Inner-city art
Following the completion of the Pink and White Terraces mural on Pukuatua St, permission has been granted for an art installation on a wall in an alleyway facing the Quest apartments on Hinemoa St. The group has also written to other building owners to ask if their buildings were available for artworks. Efforts are also being made to establish a more permanent inner-city art gallery, following on the success of the pop-up gallery at the old Westpac building over summer. A large tui sculpture by local sculptor Trevor Nathan will be installed at the upgraded Eruera St intersection. It will be on display at the council for the June 16 meeting. Mr Steiner said he hoped somebody might purchase the two on-loan Joe Kemp sculptures, currently on display at the Pukuatua/Tutanekai intersection, to make them permanent fixtures in the inner city.
Tulip festival
On November 4 and 5 thousands of tulips will brighten up the city streets, for the inaugural Rotorua tulip festival. Mr Steiner said Rotorua's tulips were magnificent and should be celebrated. The festival, which he hoped would involve the local Dutch community, would bring visitors to town and give locals the chance to appreciate what they had, he said.
Light Rotorua for Christmas
Mr Steiner said they were in the process of getting sponsorship to light up several trees around Rotorua, like the one outside Pig & Whistle. They also hoped to string lighting the length of Tutanekai St and will hold workshops for shop owners on dressing their windows for Christmas.
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Scrub Day - again
The first Scrub Rotorua Day was held last November, when retailers and landlords got out their paint brushes and mops for a clean up. Another Scrub Day is planned for late October/early November this year, which will then lead into the Christmas lights project.
Attracting new businesses
Mr Steiner said endeavours were being made to approach businesses that weren't already in Rotorua to suggest "they have another look at it". "We're saying 'hey we're better, brighter, bolder, more attractive [than we were]'." He hoped new businesses might consider moving into the CBD.
Transport and parking
Plans for designated campervan parking in the city will be unveiled at the meeting, along with proposed new bus routes and stops in the city and a proposed cycleway through the inner city.
Trading hours
"We want to try to unify the trading hours throughout Rotorua, particularly at weekends," Mr Steiner said. "We need input."
Youth initiatives
Mr Steiner said the group wanted to help engage youth in the city and was working with other stakeholders towards that. "We're looking seriously at addressing the unsatisfactory behaviour by some of the younger people in our community."