Invercargill CBD block developer addresses community spaces concern

Wednesday, 17 July 2019

​HWCP Management Ltd director Scott O'Donnell has addressed concerns around a suggested lack of community congregation spots and green spaces in the CBD block plans.

Councillors spent two days listening to public submissions about if the Invercargill City Council should invest up to $30 million into HWCP's proposed CBD block development.

A common theme from many submitters was a request for more community spaces to be added to the block if the council was to invest ratepayer money in it.

Art displays, performance areas, phone charging portals, kids play areas, and general spaces for people to mingle have been suggested.

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O'Donnell told councillors at the hearing on Wednesday that many of those elements had already been included in the plans. 

In regard to submitters requests for green spaces within the block, O'Donnell said that was more challenging.

He believed Invercargill had plenty of fantastic green spaces elsewhere in the city which people could enjoy.

'We have one of the most beautiful parks in the world in Queens Park. We also have something quite special in the Otepuni Gardens.

'We now have a large development in Kmart, we need to go and link that development with the CBD. The Otepuni Gardens is the bit in the middle.

'Council own and operate those gardens, we need to find a way to activate that space and that gives you green space within 100m of this block.'

O'Donnell backed the council to work through an overall CBD strategy, but he warned searching for absolute perfection had its risks.

'We have an opportunity, we have a solution to the issues of old buildings falling over, we've got a solution to a city that has no centre.

'We are now in the zone. I've been in commercial business for 30 years and I've watched people try and find the absolute best outcome, the optimal outcome, the gold medal.

'Sadly what tends to happen is there is no outcome. Because the time taken to do those things means the opportunity is lost, that is the challenge we face.'

Earlier at the hearing on Wednesday submitters dished up a mixture of views around whether council should invest or not.

Invercargill resident Sue Smith spoke passionately that she could not afford further rates increases and believed the focus should be on needs not wants.

'Are you forcing me and many others to have to fund this project that we can't afford and don't agree with?' Smith said.

Smith believed the divide in Invercargill between the 'haves' and 'have nots' was growing, in regard to people who can and can not afford certain things.

'They find it very hard to relate to the have nots who have to consider and manage every dollar they have to survive.

'We have been classed as negative, but we are the ones in the real world asking the real questions.' 

Invercargill architect Bob Simpson was not opposed to CBD development, however, he wanted to slow the pace of the proposal. He wanted the council to work with an urban-planner and produce other staged CBD options which included a outdoor community space for community events.

Southland Chamber of Commerce president Neil McAra spoke in favour of council investment saying they had resounding feedback from Chamber members that council should be an investor.

Invercargill resident Cain Duncan said he returned to Invercargill seven years ago and was eager for the council to grab the opportunity to develop the CBD block.

'We are at a crossroads. We can keep going until the buildings fall down around us, but I know my children will not want to stay in a place that has no heart.'