11 March 2014
Final phase to complete Eat Streat underway
Work is underway on the final phase of Rotorua’s Eat Streat development with most remaining work expected to be complete
by the end of the month [March].
Kris Beehre, owner of Eat Streat’s Ambrosia Restaurant & Bar, said he was looking forward to completion of the project.
“Business has certainly improved as a result of the development and it will improve even more when the job is fully
complete. Eat Streat has become a great entertainment area for Rotorua,” he said.
Glass panelling along the roof structure is currently being fitted while installation of wooden dividers to separate
outdoor business spaces should be finished within two weeks. Installing timber windbreaks at either end of Eat Streat
starts this week.
Final touches to underfloor geothermal heating gets underway in the next few days with the innovative heating system
ready for use by the end of March. Landscaping and planting will be undertaken over coming weeks and should also be
finished by the end of the month.
Work to remedy the uneven surface on some parts of Eat Streat’s central pedestrian walkway starts tomorrow [Wednesday 12
March] and should take 10 working days to finish. A smooth cobblestone surface is being laid to replace wooden boards
which have warped in some places.
Council Economic & Regulatory Services group manager Mark Rawson said the finished walkway surface would be attractive, safe, and able to
bear the weight of a fully loaded fire tender or ambulance if needed in an emergency.
“While a replacement timber surface option was identified by the project’s architects, that option would have taken two
to three months for manufacturing and installation, and would be many times more costly than the cobblestone solution of
around $30,000.
“Using cobblestones means we can swiftly respond to public safety issues, limit disruption to Eat Streat businesses and
customers, and minimise cost.
“Access to café and restaurants’ outdoor areas would remain available to customers throughout the final phase of work,”
he said.
Mr Rawson said completion of Eat Streat’s last phase meant precise measuring for retractable roofing over outdoor dining
spaces could now take place for those restaurants purchasing the overhead cover. Manufacturing retractable roofing would
take 10 to 12 weeks and installation was expected before the end of June.
Inner City Revitalisation Strategy leader, Councillor Karen Hunt, said she was excited to see the Eat Streat development
on the final straight with the finishing post in sight.
“Businesses in Eat Streat have been cooperative and patient during the long construction period. However the way local
and out-of-town customers have been enthusiastically embracing the new outdoor dining concept - even before it’s fully
complete - suggests it’s been well worth waiting for.”
Ms Hunt said Eat Streat was one of a number inner city revitalisation projects undertaken with local business partners –
including new city sculptures, free parking, upgraded streetscapes, and new information display boards – as part of the
district’s Rotorua 2030 vision and goals.
She said the council was working closely with other stakeholder groups, such as the Inner City Focus group and Rotorua
Cuisine Cooperative, on more initiatives to reinvigorate the heart of the city.
ENDS