Transport outcomes agreed for key Auckland downtown redevelopment opportunity

Auckland Council’s Planning Committee has approved the transport outcomes for the redevelopment of the Downtown Car Park site, which alongside the urban regeneration outcomes agreed last year, will deliver a high quality, mixed-use development that includes future-focused transport facilities.

With the strategic outcomes for the site agreed, it can be taken to a competitive market process to find a development partner that can help deliver the vision of a harbour edge stitch that unites the city centre and waterfront, as outlined in the City Centre Masterplan.

Situated in a prominent downtown location, the site is key to connecting the city centre with the waterfront neighbourhoods in Viaduct Harbour and Wynyard Quarter to the west.

The committee has agreed that potential development partners should provide proposals that respond to the previously agreed urban regeneration outcomes along with the following transport outcomes:

• A bus facility (including short term bus layover, charging facilities for electric buses, active bus stops and passenger amenities), either by removing the Lower Hobson Street flyover and replacing it with an accessible on-street bus facility, or as part of the site redevelopment, which also includes potential removal of the flyover
• A flexible, accessible multimodal transport hub that can change over time and supports public access to micromobility (cycling and e-scooters), including end-of-journey facilities, mobility parking, and a micro freight distribution hub
• No specification on the number of short stay car parks, but proposals to include details of the car parking required to meet the objectives of the development and any additional public short stay car parking they propose to provide