The Invercargill community is being invited to give feedback on the next steps for the inner city redevelopment.
Work to rejuvenate and rebuild the Invercargill CBD began in 2020, after Invercargill City Council committed to the Invercargill Central development, a centre comprising retail, food and beverage, offices and car parking.
Council is also upgrading the inner city streets to create attractive streetscape connections between the Invercargill Central, HWR Tower and Langlands Hotel developments.
In 2020, Council agreed to invest up to $46 million to support the city block development. It also agreed to invest $18.7m into Stage 1 Esk and Don City Streets Upgrade.
Council is now consulting on funding required to complete the City Block development, as well as what level of investment to make into Stage 2 of the City Centre Upgrade.
Council Chief Executive Clare Hadley said it had been an exciting time for the community seeing the city development come to life over the past year.
“We know that our residents and those who visit us from around the region have been filled with anticipation as they have watched the construction progress,” Hadley said.
“Our community are really feeling a sense of pride and satisfaction in seeing these steps towards a new vibrant and liveable city.
“Everyone is eager to see this development come to fruition. While there are always challenges in big important projects like this, we are confident of a positive outcome.”
Hadley said while the project was progressing on time and budget, COVID-19 economic impacts, uncertainty around both the construction and supply chain, increased costs and limitations in bank funding for the development stage meant further investment and loan funding was required to complete the project.
Further Council funding was proposed in two forms for the city block development: additional shareholder investment of $7.5 million and short-term loan funding of $22.75 million, she said.
Stage 2 of the City Streets is focused on continuing to develop a city to inhabit and enjoy. Work will continue along Esk St and includes the redevelopment of Kelvin St, linking more of the city centre and encompassing other work in the city, such as the SIT development, Hadley said.
The community is invited to give feedback on which options they prefer during the Next Steps for City Block consultation period, which runs from Thursday 13 January to Friday 11 February.
Further details on the options for both parts of the consultation and how to make your submission are available at icc.govt.nz/cityblockconsultation or at Council’s civic administration building at 101 Esk St, the Bluff Service Centre or the Invercargill City Library.
For more information about Invercargill Central, visit invercargillcentral.nz and for more information about the City Streets Upgrade, visit citystreetsupgrade.co.nz.
