Let’s Hold Fire While Part II Study Gets Under-way The Port of Auckland situation is a rapidly evolving one. I have noticed Brewer and Stewart give their reluctance on the … Continue reading Cease Fire on the Port – UPDATE
Tag: City Centre
Heart of the City Looking for a New CEO
Could you be it? It is 2015 and Heart of the City are looking for a fresh start after the Swney saga last year (http://hotcity.co.nz/news/Important-Announcement-from-Heart-of-the-City/?pi_newsitemid=543) And with the Downtown … Continue reading Heart of the City Looking for a New CEO
Help Shape Downtown Public Spaces
Have Your Say as part of the Downtown Framework Time for some public input on Downtown public spaces. From Auckland Council: Aucklanders asked to help shape downtown public … Continue reading Help Shape Downtown Public Spaces
Santa Sacked – No More
Iconic Santa [was] ‘Retired’
Update: Santa will be back up this year after generous donations
From Mayor Len Brown
Santa is staying. Huge thanks to Mansons TCLM, Sky City and HOTC. Auckland at its best.
More here from Stuff: http://www.stuff.co.nz/auckland/10654571/Aucklands-Santa-saved-from-retirement?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=twitter
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When I saw this Tweet from Bevan last night I thought it was a joke:
The email is accessible by clicking the links inside the Tweet.
But alas this is no joke. Heart of the City has “retired” the iconic Santa this year due to “funding” issues amongst other things.
From Radio New Zealand
Santa victim of Auckland cost cutting
Updated 43 minutes ago
Heart of the City says it can not afford the $180,000 costing of putting up Santa and his reindeer on the Queen Street’s Whitcoulls building.
The giant Santa first went up on the Farmers Hobson Street department store in 1960, and after a brief stint in Manukau City, has been an annual fixture in Queen Street.
Listen to more on Morning Report ( 4 min 10 sec )
Chair of the ratepayer-funded agency, Terry Gould, said its five year relationship with Santa has to end.
“Funding from other sources has progressively been withdrawn, leading to much discussion around the boardroom table about spending priorities,” he said.
……
Source and Full Article: http://www.radionz.co.nz/news/regional/257567/santa-victim-of-auckland-cost-cutting
The audio can be heard here:
It was speculated last night on how much wider is the financial problems with Heart of the City after they sacked former CEO Alex Swney for tax evasion charges. The timing just does not seem right over the Santa sacking or retirement mess.
However, if Santa is to be retired I do like this suggestion:
@AklCouncil can we have a giant Xmas tree with white lights in Aotea Square? Also one in Manukau and every other metropolitan centre. Ta!
Hope yet folks for a brighter 2014 Christmas
Is the City Centre Revamps at the Expense of the West
Some would think yes – and just not for the West either The issue has been brewing away for a while and I have mentioned it both in the … Continue reading Is the City Centre Revamps at the Expense of the West
Shared Spaces – Lots of Them [Updated with Pictures]
A Busy Fortnight With City Centre Open Spaces This presser comes as a nice relief with the Elections still yet to reach peak “Cray” (crazy) mode even with revelations … Continue reading Shared Spaces – Lots of Them [Updated with Pictures]
Downtown Framework Passed [Updated with Framework now Included]
First of the Two Downtown Items Passed in Committee The next run of blog posts will be covering the results and performances from yesterday’s 9:30 hours of often fraught … Continue reading Downtown Framework Passed [Updated with Framework now Included]
City Centre East-West Connections
Improving Connections Through the City Centre
Yesterday Transport Blog via a Local Government Official Information and Meetings Act (LGOIMA) request posted on plans to improve both the east-west links in the Auckland City Centre as well as (as a result) vitality of the City Centre.
Transport Blog have done their own commentary on this and I’ll leave the commentary at that (see: The City East West Transport Study )
What have done is attach the document as an embed so that you can read the PDF which is at 44MB in size without busting your bandwidth (via downloading) – especially if on a tablet or mobile device.
The City Centre East West Link Report – courtesy of Transport Blog
Attribution: http://transportblog.co.nz/2014/08/08/the-city-east-west-transport-study/
At 274 pages long I have not read it fully yet myself but from what I have seen it is certainly interesting and doable over time. The catch is will we have political will power to do it…
Time will tell as it always does
Auckland Development Committee Agenda Up, Also Giving a Presentation
Agenda Up, Committee Talks Area Plans, I Talk Metropolitan Centre Master Plans The June Auckland Development Committee Agenda has gone up and we are talking plans out in … Continue reading Auckland Development Committee Agenda Up, Also Giving a Presentation
A Story of Downtown Auckland [Updated]
Past, Present and Future of Downtown Auckland On Wednesday I was at a presentation with Deputy Mayor Penny Hulse and Urban Design Champion Ludo Campbell-Reid on what might … Continue reading A Story of Downtown Auckland [Updated]
Talking Southern Auckland 