Earthquake hazard car parks must be repaired and expanded – Business Association

Simon O’Connor/Staff

The downtown New Plymouth car park on Powderham Street was closed indefinitely in late 2020 due to earthquake hazards. (file image)

The New Plymouth Business Association said a council-owned parking building closed a year ago because it was an earthquake hazard that must be repaired and expanded.

The seven-story, 265-park downtown car park on Powderham Street was closed in December 2020 because it represented an earthquake hazard, and only met 20 to 34 per cent of new building standards introduced after the Christchurch earthquake.

But a year later, New Plymouth County Council (NPDC) has not made any decisions about whether the building will be beefed up and purchased according to code or permanently closed.

There was something to be done, said Michelle Brennan, New Plymouth Business and Retail Association (BARA) coordinator, as parking was sorely needed downtown.

“We should bring back this car park building, and they should look into adding two more levels, so it gives more options for people who work in the CBD as well as for shoppers who come in. And that should be a 24 hour building.”

Read more: * A new $13 million vision for New Plymouth city center presented to council * New Plymouth Council apologizes to Ewe after construction begins on parking lot without advice * Attempting to solve New Plymouth parking issue * New Plymouth car park is closed in City center due to earthquake hazards

Simon O’Connor/Stuff

Indoor parking is badly needed in the city, and the closed downtown parking lot needs to be repaired and expanded, PARA coordinator Michelle Brennan says.

There is a lot of small office business in the CBD, Brennan said, and they need parking or else “they’re going somewhere else.”

“And these are the people who spend money during the week, go shopping in the lunch hours and buy food.”

She also said, that some businessmen need to go in and out of the CBD to meet customers and need a parking space, so renting parking spaces in the parking building was fine for them, she said.

“It is imperative that there is a parking lot and plenty of it in the CBD and if they don’t want to spread out with parking, go up.”

David Langford, NPDC’s director of planning and infrastructure, said the council is ‘currently looking at options, including seismic reinforcement, and how the car park building fits into the city center strategy. ”

In an emailed statement, he said a report was being prepared for the council to make a decision on the future of the building.

At this point no decision has been made about reopening it.”

Simon O’Connor/Stuff

The NPDC plans to build an 18-place car park at this location at Egmont St.

A new 18-place car park is planned on Egmont Street to relieve pressure on parking spaces while downtown is closed to cars.

Langford said the location of the Egmont St site next to Puke Ariki requires supplier approval before work can be completed.

”So we consult with the Ngāti Te Whiti hapū and make sure we understand any cultural influences before applying for approval. We expect work to start in the new year if all goes according to plan.”

The project has been on hold since August, when the board apologized to Iwi for not consulting before work began.

The cost of converting the site into a parking space is in the tens of thousands, and includes sealing the roof and building a small retaining wall.

The seismic assessment of New Plymouth’s Center City shopping center rated it as less than 20 percent of new building standards. The building contains hundreds of parking spaces.

But Langford did not comment on plans the council would have to replace the parking lots if City Center is forced to close.

“City Center is a private business and we wouldn’t speculate on what they might do. Our City Center strategy is our plan to keep the City Center growing and prospering for the next 30 years, and it will guide any decision about parking and transportation.

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