New life for Fort Street
It is envisaged that the construction of a new 37-floor development will bring new life to Fort Street.
Auckland City Council’s Regulatory and Fixtures Sub Committee granted resource consent on Tuesday that will further
rejuvenate the Queen Street Valley Precinct of the CBD.
First City Developments Ltd can now move ahead with building a new high-rise at 42-52 Fort Street.
This will support the long-term urban design view of creating a better flow from Queen Street through to Britomart.
This retail activity for Fort Street will provide a refreshing change and add value for residents in the area,
attracting additional pedestrians and shoppers. The development will include convenience shopping, restaurants, and a
gymnasium, pool and landscaped plaza.
The council planner assessing the application reported that the glazing incorporated into the street level design helped
promote visibility between ground floor activities and the footpath outside. The design should add an open, friendly
ambience to the street. The building is to have a curved cylindrical corner that wraps around Gore and Fort streets
providing an interesting feature to the streetscape.
“The proposed development is representative of a rejuvenation of the Fort Street area,” says Councillor Juliet Yates,
committee chairperson. Previous ‘red light’ activities are slowly relocating elsewhere and the area is becoming
redeveloped with modern buildings. “This type of mixed use development will certainly increase the number of people in
the vicinity, and therefore enhance the vibrancy of the area.”