A Federal Case

in RWC 2011 by Jon C — May 18, 2010 at 10:32 pm | 9 comments

Why is it that everytime we get a new idea in Auckland, the debate soon turns to custard.

We’ve had Queens Wharf Debates 1-197 and still don’t know whether the sheds are staying or a new cruise ship terminal will emerge.

Now the moment someone suggests tarting up Federal St, the debate goes quickly downhill with people either saying the Casino is the Devil in disguise and must have satanic intentions with such a plan (Disclaimer: I don’t think so but have never been to the casino itself as I don’t like gambling and its social effects) or dear old Rudman in the old people’s Royal NZ Herald narrowing the debate to his obsession that everything has to have a theatre attached.

I asked 25 people in the city today where I could find Federal St. None of them looked like tourists or recent immigrants.

No one had a clue, including three sitting waiting for a bus outside SkyCity.

This is Federal St. It’s boring, not pedestrian friendly and merely a functional back alley for casino taxis and delivery vans.

So SkyCity has proposed to Auckland City that it

• redevelops Federal Street
• reconfigures the ground floor of SkyCity’s building
• extend the existing conference facilities into the airspace over Federal Street.

The casino company will only undertake the work if all three components are agreed to by the council. They require the council’s consent as landowner to undertake the redevelopment of Federal Street and for an airspace lease and the upgrade proposal of Federal Street. But it has also made a confidential offer to fund the redevelopment of Federal Street.

You’ll notice Federal St is full of traffic, especially taxis. The proposal is to make Federal St a shared space.

The win would be for pedestrians:

• the traffic direction would change
• there would be an upgrade of the pedestrian crossing facilities at both ends of the street
• closure of the Sky City Casino car park entry on Federal St
• reduced conflict between pedestrians and vehicles at the northern end of the street
• wider pedestrian activity and vehicle free areas on both sides of the street
• removal of coach parking within the street
• an aim of 40% reduction in vehicle flows at the northern end of Federal Street.
• Traffic flows on Federal Street between Victoria Street and Wellesley are predicted to reduce by 30% to 50% to just over 2,000 vehicles per day.

But the plan, being developed by Sky Tower architect, Moller Architects involves extend its convention centre by spanning Federal Street and providing an additional area of 684 square metres.

The underside of the structure will be 13 metres  above street level.

It begins about 64 metres in from Wellesley Street on its southern end and  finishes about 48 metres in with another 77 metres to the north on Victoria Street.

The plan is to do something different and artistic in the design.

And it happens to be about creating a bigger international convention centre, which is badly needed in Auckland.
It’s embarrassing how many times Aucklanders go to Australia for a convention that can’t be held here because we don’t have big enough international standard facilities.

APPA is the city’s “advisory group for public art” (How do I get on an advisory group for public transport and impress my friends?)

And APPA, in a submission to the council says:

“The proposed architectural form is an obstructing intervention in public space which would: Obliterate open sky-space, Block views of St Patrick’s Cathedral from the Wellesley Street and Mayoral Drive ends of Federal Street, Diminish the quality of the public domain, and Effectively privatise public space and set a very uncomfortable precedent in the city. “

It doesn’t like the design concept and states: A successful outcome would:  Express lightness and transparency,  need to be top of the game to ensure success, and need to be an inspired architectural statement.

It may be right. But this type of first reaction ferments negativity which will soon drown the debate, especially in media that thrive on conflict.

Expect at this rate, taxis to still be clogging unloved Federal St in years to come.

Except thankfully the Auckland City Council is enthusiastic. Good for it!

Even neighbouring Wellington doesn’t have an immediate outpouring of alarm bells everytime a city proposal is aired.  It has vigorous debates in a city that has lots of cultural-obsessed and heritage-obsessed citizens but still interesting things happen.

Tags: Federal St Sky City