Praneeta Mahajan
Hamilton, January 31, 2024
Hamilton has been vouched as one of the fastest-growing and highly preferred cities, thanks to the new avenues of work, living and family living, that are regularly highlighted when the city is mentioned.
The newest addition to the image of Hamilton being ready for premium living comes in the form of a high-profile apartment development in the central city, which will also improve footpaths in the area with less disruption and cost for ratepayers.
Details about project
Waikato-based building company Engas Development is building ‘Eastbank’ comprising 27 premium apartments on the corner of Anzac Parade, Memorial Drive and Puutikitiki Street, in the Hamilton Central area and the Council is taking a one-off opportunity to create additional footpath width for the community.
The current footpath is as little as 1.3m wide close to a busy traffic lane and a co-operative approach between Engas Development and the Hamilton City Council means the footpath will be widened as part of the development, saving time and money.
“Working together is delivering some real benefits to this project, and as a local company it is great to see wider, long-term benefits for the city through this approach,” says Steve Currie of Engas.
A Historic site
“We are mindful of the profile and history of the site, and we continue to work closely with mana whenua and Council as the project develops,” said Mr Currie.
The corner site is in an area steeped in the city’s settlement and transport history. A cultural report notes it is near the historic Te Tara-ahi Paa site of Ngāti Pakekirangi which was abandoned after Ngapuhi raids in the late 1700s.
It is opposite the historic Moule’s Redoubt, the first European settlement in the Waikato, and near the city’s first bridge crossing, the 1878 Union Bridge.
Saving a piece of the past
Heritage site investigation and discovery protocols are in place during works, mana whenua input during the design phase will be reflected in a distinctive design on the new retaining wall and a historic plaque on the old wall is being saved for relocation.
Site excavation is planned for February/March with the new retaining wall expected to be complete in March/April and the new, wider, footpath fully open to the public in May.
Hamilton City Council Executive Director Development, Chris Allen, said that one of the biggest benefits of doing this work as part of the development is the reduction in disruption for traffic.
“This is one of our busiest central city intersections, beside one of our highest-traffic bridges. By doing the footpaths before the apartments are built, construction equipment can work from the development site, rather than from the road. This was a one-off opportunity as widening the footpaths once development is complete would have caused far more disruption and may have been economically unfeasible.”
Struggle before results
Traffic management during this phase will be a bit of a challenge for the residents in the area and commuters using the route, as the works would mainly involve the narrowing of lanes on Anzac Parade and Memorial Drive, with closures of Puutikitiki Street access from Anzac Parade during specific stages of the works. Pedestrians and cyclists will be directed through the site at a safe distance from work.
Praneeta Mahajan is an Indian Newslink reporter based in Hamilton.
