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

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