Vibrancy a must for central city

More people on the streets, for longer, with money in their pocket to spend in the shops are needed in Hastings city centre – but just how that can be achieved is not so simple to work out.

Like urban centres across New Zealand, Hastings is grappling with the decline of “bricks and mortar” retail, with 86 per cent of shops occupied at last count. That impacts on the vibrancy and life of the inner city.

Hastings District Council is holding a symposium on the issue in August, looking for ideas that can be implemented in the short term to give the city centre a “kick-start”. People interested in helping find potential solutions are invited to attend.

It will feature Karen Remetis from the Town Centre Development Group speaking on Business Improvement Districts, an internationally recognised CBD management model, James Lunday of Common Ground Studio, an internationally recognised urban developer with specialist knowledge of heritage property and its re-use for commercial purposes, Alexis Voutratzis of the Property Council of NZ, and Alex Lovell, a brand strategist from OBD Brand Agency.

As in other centres, Hastings’ problems include the rapid rise of on-line retailing, the unsuitability of aging buildings – some of which need earthquake strengthening, and the impact of one-stop “big box” retail.

Also contributing to the issues is the length the main street retail area, covering 6 blocks. It is believed to be too long in today’s retail environment. While some blocks are fully occupied and successful – others struggle.

Hastings mayor Lawrence Yule says that “to bring our city centre to full vibrancy, many elements must be considered and while long-term strategic projects can be undertaken, it is as important to have immediate actions which will achieve positive change”.

Ideas being used by other centres which could be considered for Hastings include coming up with a way to shrink the retail area to give the city a tight-knit vibrant heart, re-looking at the paid parking system, and encouraging residential development in the city.

Positive moves in Hastings over the last two years include Kiwibank’s opening, which brought 200 more people into the central business area. Attracting those kinds of businesses into the fringe areas of the retail heart remains a council focus.

Other good news includes the uptake of shop space on the east side of the city since the demolition of the Albert Hotel and the plans for beautifying that site, the activity at William Nelson Park, and the central city markets.

Retail is no small contributor to the district’s economy, accounting for 27 per cent of jobs and $79 million of Hastings total $637m in GDP. That figure is beaten only by manufacturing, which accounts for $98m GDP.

Work has already been done to get input from various sectors of the community, including shoppers. The latter have told council that they want vibrancy improved, they want to keep the mall and fountain, and they want more public spaces and suitable car parking.

The symposium will take place on August 26, and everyone with an interest in being part of potential solutions is encouraged to register their interest to attend. See: http://www.hastingsdc.govt.nz/cbd.

4 October 2017

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