Council wants to turn Bridge Street into a linear park to increase the city's amenity value. Photo: Supplied / Nelson City Council
Nelson City Council is asking the community for its thoughts on a $40 million infrastructure project for its central city.
The 'Bridge to Better' project aims to improve water infrastructure, provide capacity for hundreds of city centre homes and revitalise Bridge Street.
The council has allocated $32m to the project in its 2021-31 Long Term Plan, with an additional $36m from the government's Infrastructure Acceleration Fund.
Mayor Nick Smith said the improvements will reduce Wakatu Carpark flooding during high tides and upgrade water infrastructure to enable new multi-storey residential and commercial developments.
It will include a new water supply ring main around the CBD, a new stormwater main along Bridge Street and Haven Road, an upgrade of the Paru Paru Road wastewater pump station and renewal of the Rutherford Street, Achilles Ave and Bridge Street wastewater infrastructure.
The project also aimed to see Bridge Street and Haven Road turned into a people-focused corridor, with more green places and places to socialise, a more sustainable commercial environment and more transport choices.
"This underground work also offers an opportunity to redesign the Bridge Street corridor," Smith said.
"I want the council and consultants working closely on the design with retailers and property owners so as to manage the disruption during construction and deliver a revitalised space for the city's future."
Bridge to Better was the first project to come out of Te Ara ō Whakatū, Nelson's spatial plan for the city centre.
Infrastructure group manager Alec Louverdis said the council will be engaging with the community over the next year to develop a design for the project that will positively transform key areas of Nelson's city centre.
The first phase of engagement lasts from 22 September to the end of February, with meetings to be held for a range of different stakeholder groups.