As well as involving council engineers, the final design review team also included local architect Bruce Dickson.
Mr Leitao said the redesign looked at some specific areas including retaining all the trees, ensuring pedestrian flow and safety around those trees, minimising the impact on parking on that section of Taupo Quay, and providing a "balanced" streetscape. To minimise the hazard of tree roots deforming the footpaths, garden areas will be created around the trees from the i-Site corner toward Victoria Ave.
He said while the redesign has tried to be as close to the original as possible, some compromises had been made. "It does not address all the renewal and improvement issues with underground utilities and reduces the number of carparks by four."
He said it also meant relocating the bus stop outside the Tram Shed, which means that buses on the Drews Ave route will now have to travel an extra 330m each trip, heading along Ridgway St, into Market Pl and then on to the Quay.
The redesign got the vote of councillors Helen Craig, Martin Visser, Jack Bullock, Charlie Anderson, Jenny Duncan and Hamish McDouall. Councillors Philippa Baker-Hogan, Ray Stevens and Rob Vinsen voted against it.