Majestic Square revamp: Public meeting called to hear about plans and have a say

Mainstreet Whanganui's Des Warahi and Whanganui District Council's Ellen Young will speak at the public event. Photo / Bevan Conley

A public meeting will be held to discuss the revamp of Majestic Square and organisers want "really good attendance".

The redevelopment project is a collaboration between Mainstreet Whanganui and Whanganui District Council's town centre regeneration committee.

Both have been hosting public information stalls revealing concept designs but now they want to bring the community together to discuss the ideas driving the revamp and take feedback.

Mainstreet's Des Warahi will lead the meeting and Town Centre Regeneration project manager Ellen Young will present what's already been done.

"There's already a preliminary design there and there's a few different features in it that remedy some of the things that limit the space and this needs to be talked through so that people are informed before they give us this feedback," Young said.

"We don't want to redo that work. We're using that design as a conversation starter and then honing in on that and getting a lot more feedback from the community.

"The main thing is getting that flow of foot traffic all the way up to the Sarjeant Gallery and getting it visually opened up."

Young said it needed to be a space for a broad range of people.

"It needs to work really well for events but it also needs to work really well as a square that people want to spend time in.

"It's got more potential than it does and I think one of the key things is people don't see the potential until it's there.

An artist's impression of how Majestic Square could be improved. Image / Supplied

"You need to get people's creative juices flowing and show them alternative spaces."

At the end of Tuesday's meeting there will be a chance to give feedback.

"I also want to inform people about how the funding works because it's actually already allocated, it's not new ratepayer money and it's only being seed-funded by the [Whanganui District ] council.

"Mainstreet's going to be the ones really on the ground," Young said.

Over the past few months, Majestic Square has held several events which have attracted hundreds of people, such as the Festival of Cultures and two services to call for an end to violence.

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Mainstreet Whanganui general manager Des Warahi has previously said: "The more vibrant this area can be, the better it's going to be for our businesses and social services in town."

• The meeting will be at 5.30pm on Tuesday, December 10 in the Pioneer Room of the War Memorial Hall.