Carpark Upgrade Enters New Phase

Media Release
24 September, 2012

The ground floor of the Central City Carpark will be off limits for up to four days next week while it is wired and painted, but ample parking will be available on other levels of the building.

The carpark on the corner of John and Robert Streets is undergoing a major upgrade to transform it into a place where people feel safe and comfortable leaving their cars.

Painting and line marking have already been completed on the first floor and first floor extension on the Cinema level, and security cameras have been installed in the stairwells.

This week the ground floor gets a spruce up, with electrical and painting work being carried out from Wednesday 26 September until around the Saturday 29 September.

“Electricians will be working in the ground floor area on Wednesday, and then the painters will move in to brighten the place up with a coat of paint,” says Mike Hibbert, WDC Property Manager.

“All going to plan, this work will be completed before the weekend, but there is a possibility it will spill over into Saturday.

“We will have cones in place indicating the ground floor area is closed off, which may cause minor inconvenience for regular users. The upper levels of the carpark will still be available for parking.”

Although the Central City Carpark is easily the most convenient carpark in town, and also the cheapest and most weather-protected, many people have been reluctant to use it because of its cramped spaces, dark corners and vandalism.

“Currently it is very underutilised, but Council wants to change that,” Mike Hibbert says.

“We are eliminating anti-social behaviour and helping people to feel more secure by installing 24-hour security cameras and increasing visibility by painting the walls and columns.

The entire project is due for completion by mid-November, and although some levels will be closed off during that time, parking one or more levels of the building will remain open.

“As the upgrade progresses, we anticipate increasing numbers of people enjoying the enhanced facility,” Mike Hibbert says. “More people in the building will make it a safer place to park, and being so close to the Cinema and central city shops, a handy one, too.”

Anyone wanting more information on section closures in the Central City Carpark should phone the Whangarei District Council Customer Services Centre on (09) 430 4200.

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