Midtown neighbourhood
Midtown community update - 20 February
What's happening in midtown
On the journey to a more connected, people-friendly city centre, some key project stages within the city are nearing completion and others are well underway.
Here’s what’s been happening over the last month and what's coming up:
- Te Hā Noa progress continues on Victoria Street East, with the section between Lorne and Kitchener Streets set to be largely complete by early autumn. Planting will follow later in autumn to align with the planting season.
- Auckland Transport's temporary extended cycleway on Victoria Street is making great progress with the bus stop build-out and cycleway now installed and expected to open in early March.
- The northern side of Wellesley Street West (from Albert Street to Queen Street) is progressing, with new concrete slabs poured and kerb stone installation underway.
- City Rail Link streetscape reinstatement works at Mayoral Drive made great progress with much of the new footpath now complete and tree pit construction underway.
- The final Albert Street road rebuild is underway - with new road surfacing between Victoria and Wellesley Streets taking place. The reinstatement of the heritage bluestone wall continues, with the central archway and stairs now in place.
- Preparations for Watercare midtown upgrades are well underway across Queen Street, Mayoral Drive, Wellesley Street East, and Victoria Street East ahead of upcoming shaft construction. Hoardings are in place at all sites and piling is now underway at the Mayoral/Queen intersection.
Key events bringing people to midtown this month:
- Midtown Street Party, Thursday, 20 February, 5pm-8pm, Elliott Street - A celebration of Latin American culture with samba dancers, drummers, DJs, live music, and a special market in the Strand Arcade.
- Music in Parks: After Work Special, Thursday 20 February, 4pm–7pm, Aotea Square - Performances featuring Anna Coddington, FOLEY, and DJ Sam Harmony will draw in the after-work crowd.
- Auckland Pride Closing Event, Saturday, 1 March, Waimahara, Myers Park – A reflective end to the Pride festival, including a hīkoi from Aotea Square, performances by Nganeko and Nia, panel discussions, letter writing, and picnics.
You can view the latest newsletter here.
Our commitments to you
We recognise that the work to regenerate midtown isn't without some disruption, and we're working to reduce the impact on you as much as we can. These are some of the things we're doing to address the key frustrations that businesses, residents and property owners have expressed to us:
Coordinate work
- Across the Auckland Council group we’re committed to coordinating works where possible to reduce the overall disruption and get projects finished sooner.
Keep you informed
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We know you need good information in order to plan for disruption. To stay up to date with the latest construction information and what is happening in your midtown neighbourhood, subscribe here.
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You can also contact us with any questions or concerns at midtown@aucklandcouncil.govt.nz - we have a dedicated council representative on-street daily, checking in and sharing updates. They are your key point of contact for all information and any issues.
- You can view our latest newsletters here:
Minimise disruption
- Site works will generally be undertaken during daylight hours, Monday to Friday.
- We’ll do what we can to minimise noise and dust by using tools such as noise mats, cutting booths, and carefully choosing where things are positioned. Noisy works will mostly be during the day to minimise disruption to nearby residents and timed to be considerate of the needs of nearby residents and businesses where possible.
- At times it may be necessary to work at night, and we'll give you as much notice as possible. We'll do our best to minimise disruption to people sleeping nearby.
- Waste management and collection points will be maintained.
Make sure you can still do what you do
- We’ll maintain access to your building and business throughout construction, and we’ll talk to your body corporate/property managers about managing impacts.
- We’ll have good traffic management in place, including temporary loading bays to support loading and servicing in impacted areas.
- We know construction disruption can be really tough for small businesses, so we're offering the Midtown Small Business Support Programme, which includes a free business connector service and microgrants to eligible businesses.
Encourage people to keep coming to the area
- Safe pedestrian access to buildings will be maintained at all times, so your customers or visitors can get to you. We’ll need to re-route people from time to time but we will use clear signage to help people get around.
- We’ll use a mixture of fencing and hoardings to keep people safe, while providing light and visibility to businesses in the area.
- We’re working with property managers to add interest to empty storefronts until new tenants are in place. If you’re interested in being part of our vacant stores programme, please contact Heart of the City.
- We’re also working with Heart of the City on initiatives to improve safety in the city centre.
- We are hosting events and activities to attract more people to the midtown area. You can read more about these events here. If you’d like to participate in future events, contact us at midtown@aucklandcouncil.govt.nz – we welcome expressions of interest from all ground/first floor businesses in the midtown area. We can help with ideas for activities, offers or promotions if needed.