Subscribe to RSSNew Plaza On Its Way
Work has begun on completing the Plaza in front of the Rob Roy Tavern, which got shifted as part of the Victoria Park Tunnel Project work.
The new Plaza, with a working title of Rob Roy Plaza, will be finished within weeks in time for the RWC.
The tunnel provided an opportunity to re-think and redesign the formerly bleak space in front of the Rob Roy Hotel at the junction of Franklin Road and Victoria and Union Streets.
NZTA says it will include areas of planting, trees, seating, lighting and spill-out space in front of the Rob Roy.
NZTA now effectively owns a pub - so is looking for a lessee for the hospitality business – a cafe, bar or restaurant – on the ground floor.
Image of new plaza |NZTA
Landscape architect Peter Whiting of Bofa Miskell told the NZTA’s newsletter that the plaza will be a more vibrant public space that serves as a meeting place as well as a much improved connection at the confluence of Freemans Bay, Ponsonby and the CBD.
“The Rob Roy building itself will act as a grand bookend to one of the long vistas through Victoria Park.”
And then work will start on restoring Victoria park itself.
A total of 150 specimen trees and shrubs will be planted, including six large London Plane trees to reinstate the historic central ring of trees.
Other features of the reinstatement will be new paths, a new permanent skatepark, drinking fountains, picnic benches, public toilets and bike stands.
The restoration of the Campbells Kindergarten was a nice bonus from the project. Part of the old Campbells kindergarten will house the standby electrical and communications systems for the neighbouring tunnel.
The 100 year old Campbells Kindy has been restored
3 Comments
Still only half a job, still a shitty motorway viaduct all over this ‘plaza’ and the rest of Victoria Park. A missed opportunity to get our park back from the official place wreckers. Half-arsed half-pie project and oh how they congratulate themselves.
Note to NZTA; gardening is not urban design, it’s part of it but it can’t fix badly conceived mega projects.
I agree Patrick R, a half arsed job and missed opportunity to remove the shitty looking viaduct, when the Victoria Park tunnel was built. This is the problem NZ seems to have they always seem to do half arsed jobs, which makes it a lot harder and expensive to do it in the future, like removing the viaduct in this case.
So yeah until they remove the viaduct the area will never look nice.
NZTA owns a pub! Does this come from public transport budgets?