Have your say on a new vision for Majestic Square
Published on 26 November 2019
Mainstreet Whanganui and the Whanganui District Council’s Town Centre Regeneration Committee would like to hear ideas from the community on the redevelopment of Majestic Square.
“We are beginning to have a conversation with the community about how we can better utilise Majestic Square and create a really successful and active central public space in the heart of our town,” says Mainstreet General Manager, Des Warahi.
“We already have a design for the space which was created by internationally-renowned designers Urbanismplus in 2016 as part of town centre regeneration planning,” says Des Warahi.
Town Centre Regeneration Project Manager, Ellen Young, says, “Urbanismplus identified Majestic Square as an area which could be made much more functional for both events and as an active central city community gathering space.
“They took community feedback into consideration and came up with some clever design solutions for a tricky space and we’re now asking the community to contribute to the final design,” says Ellen Young.
The Urbanismplus design includes reinstating the view from Cooks Gardens to the Sarjeant Gallery, adding grassed terraces to act as informal seating during events, integrating the existing water feature into the steps and creating a children’s water play area.
Ellen Young says community feedback will be taken into consideration when the design for Majestic Square is finalised in 2020.
“As a community project, most of the costs will be secured through fundraising with some seed-funding from the Council. The construction start date will be dependent on this funding,” says Ellen Young.
Councillor Helen Craig, Chair of the Town Centre Regeneration Committee, says, “People will have noticed the gradual transformation of our town centre, with the addition of Whanganui Walls street art, the Conversation Station Little Park, and the Ridgway Pop Up that appeared last summer.
“Mainstreet has contributed to this with their on-going activity in the town centre including management and contribution to the cost of the recent installation of fairy lights in the trees down Victoria Avenue.
“Now it’s Majestic Square’s turn – the time is now to have your say. We’d love to hear people’s bright and innovative ideas for how we could create a really successful space where our diverse community will want to gather and connect,” says Cr Craig.
To find out more visit the Majestic Square page on the Council website or have a chat to Des Warahi and Ellen Young at the following events:
- Majestic Square at 11.30am-1.30pm on Wednesday, 27 November, Wednesday 4 December and Thursday, 5 December 2019
- Whanganui River Markets on Saturday, 30 November
- Public meeting at 5.30pm, Tuesday, 10 December in the Pioneer Room, Whanganui War Memorial Centre.
The Whanganui Town Centre Regeneration Committee comprises Whanganui District Councillors, community members, Mainstreet Whanganui, Whanganui & Partners, local iwi representatives and Council officers.