Conditional Agreement on Queen Elizabeth Square Sale to Precinct Properties

 

 

The largest of the Auckland Development Committee items passed 15-4 yesterday to allow the conditional sale of Queen Elizabeth Square to Precinct Properties. The proceeds in return will be used to development new or existing public space options near by.

The Recommendations were (I will update with the Minutes when they become available):

Recommendation/s

That the Auckland Development Committee:

• note the findings of the Downtown Public Space Options Evaluation (Reset Urban Design), Queen Elizabeth Square Evaluation (Gehl Architects) and Te Aranga Māori Design Evaluation (Rau Hoskins).
• confirm approval to sell land on which Queen Elizabeth Square stands to Precinct Properties New Zealand Limited (PPNZL) subject to successful commercial negotiations, the outcome of associated statutory public processes (road stopping and rezoning of the land) and the inclusion of design quality requirements for the Downtown Shopping Centre (DSC) block in the terms of sale.
• agree that the proceeds from the sale of Queen Elizabeth Square be reinvested in the delivery of at least two of three identified potential alternative public spaces along the downtown waterfront i.e.:
  1. new/improved space west of Queens Wharf on the water’s edge at the foot of Lower Albert Street
  2. improved space around the historic ferry building and at the base of Queens Wharf
  3. new/improved space east of Queens Wharf in the Admiralty Steps area.

• note the initial draft design requirements for the Downtown Shopping Centre block that will form part of the terms of sale, summarised as follows:
  1. support the vision for the area as expressed in the Downtown Framework and the general design principles of the Downtown Shopping Centre Block Design and Development Brief (October 2013).
  2. creation of an at-grade, publicly accessible (24hrs/7days), open with weather protection, east-west pedestrian laneway connection between Lower Queen Street and Lower Albert Street through the block.
  3. creation of a north-south pedestrian link through the block referencing the old Little Queen Street.
  4. creation of an active built edge to Lower Albert Street, Lower Queen Street, Quay Street and Custom Street that is human in scale and reinforces and enhances the positive street qualities of the surrounding area in terms of scale, massing, rhythm, articulation and transparency of facade.
  5. best practice environmental design including a minimum New Zealand Green Building Council rating of 5 Stars or a recognised equivalent standard for the commercial tower.
  6. application of Te Aranga Māori Design principles in the design process and final design.
  7. support of the Auckland Urban Design Panel to the final design.
• note that, additional to the waterfront public spaces identified in point c), a new civic pedestrianised space is to be delivered on Lower Queen Street in front of the Chief Post Office (Britomart Transport Centre) as part of the City Rail Link ‘early works’ package. The proposed civic space will be delivered to a standard that is ‘coherent with the wider area and/or recent public realm upgrades in the area’ as per the City Rail Link Notice of Requirement conditions.
• note that the design of alternative public spaces identified in b) will form part of Quay Street upgrade project design package scheduled to commence November 2014.
• agree that staff report back to the Auckland Development Committee with an update on the alternative public spaces design development as part of the Quay Street upgrade project.

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Again the Recommendations passed 15-4 (or 14-5 need to check) so Council begins the process of working with Precinct Properties on the sales process.

 

Now I stress the following points that were made very clear by Deputy Mayor Penny Hulse, and Design Champion Ludo Campbell-Reid:

1. The sale is conditional; meaning conditions from Precinct and Auckland Council have to be met first before the sale goes unconditional and advances
2. SIX TO NINE MONTHS PUBLIC CONSULTATION before any agreement is signed off fully

Yes folks a consultation period that rivals the Unitary Plan just for you on Queen Elizabeth Square and future public space options near by. So if the conditions are not met and public consultation comes out as an overwhelming ‘No’ then the sale does not proceed. That said I have pulled two Local Board Chairs up this morning already on being disingenuous around the situation so I like in the Unitary Plan submission rounds will be calling out NIMBY for the sake of NIMBY if it does occur in the consultation stage.

 

More on the QEII Square situation and concept designs can be seen here: Downtown Public Space Options with the reports seen here: Downtown Public Space Evaluation.

I will touch in a later post the level of debate (clue: armature) in a following post.

 

In the meantime the consultation stage for QEII Square should be sometime next year (right on top of the Long Term Plan consultation round).

More as it happens

 

 

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Auckland Development Committee – September Agenda 2014