HAMILTON | Projects

[Dazzle]

Thanks for all the updates...seems to be a good vibe emerging for Hamilton.

[nthbeach]

Originally Posted by TheTron

The Cricketer magazine has confirmed the Hamilton cricket ground 15th among its top 20 world test venues.

The magazine described Seddon Park as "a perfect circular venue with grassy banks running around from a classy pavilion", and quoted South African writer Neil Manthorp as saying the park "had fabulous grass banks, white picket fences, and is just five minutes from the centre of town".

The only other NZ ground was the deserved Wellington Basin Reserve which ranked 10th.

Dunedin's University Oval was also in the list.
Chch and Auckland will never make the good list in their current state, in fact Auckland was ranked quite high in the worst grounds ranking and the SCG made both lists so I don't quite understand the ranking system.

[TheTron]

Originally Posted by nthbeach

Dunedin's University Oval was also in the list.
Chch and Auckland will never make the good list in their current state, in fact Auckland was ranked quite high in the worst grounds ranking and the SCG made both lists so I don't quite understand the ranking system.

Yes you are correct, sorry missed Dunedin.

[TheTron]

Originally Posted by Dazzle

Thanks for all the updates...seems to be a good vibe emerging for Hamilton.

I actually think the creation of the motorway network in and around the city is causing the "vibe". Feels like the city is growing up. Other factors, quality and quantity of cafe and restaurants, boutique shops and streets, the feeling that it is a good stable place to do business. I also think Raglan and Cambridge have become cool and touristy, which has helped as well. Everything is just starting to feel "established". Wish the city could just get rid of the council though!

[TheTron]

Construction on the five-storey, 5300sqm office and retail development next to Wintec and the Centre Place shopping mall started this week.
With PricewaterhouseCoopers as the anchor tenant, the development includes a large public open space due to open in 2013.
McConnell is also in the early stages of considering plans for the Victoria on the River block.

[TheTron]

LINK


(I can't find a photo of the proposed new covered Ward Street, sorry. This is the redevelopment on the other side, Barton Street)

Some big changes are about to spark a long-term transformation of central Hamilton into a "people friendly" zone.

Gone will be the empty shops, deserted public spaces and quiet laneways currently the sole domain of skip bins and kebab joints.

In their place will be a thriving shopping and commerce precinct that will invite Waikato folk to indulge in a bit of retail therapy out of the suburbs.

First up will be the changes to the oft-maligned Garden Place. Come June 9, Alexandra St will be reconnected to Worley Place on Garden Place's western side, via a shared space for cars, bicycles and pedestrians to use. It is the last stage in the CityHeart Revitalisation Project.

"It is a new thing for Hamilton but I think it will work," said Mayor Julie Hardaker. "It has been done very successfully overseas and it is something that is very exciting for the city."

Christmas shopping will also be a bit of a different affair this year when the Centre Place precinct's makeover will be fully revealed.

The owners of Centre Place and the shopping mall formerly known as Downtown Plaza, now also called Centre Place, are busy planning a full range, 7000 square metre Farmers department store that will anchor a new two-level development in what was Downtown.

The redevelopment will include new premises for Rebel Sport and a range of new specialty retailers.

The project will include the formal closing of Ward St west, which currently divides the precinct. A string of cafes will be opened, with the Centre Place foodcourt spilling out on to the space.

A "bubble" will cover both malls to allow shoppers and diners to avoid Waikato rain.

[TheTron]

LINK


Telecom's Hamilton call centre could absorb some of 42 Auckland positions which the telco is proposing to cut in a couple of months.
Staff at Telecom's 123 call centre based at the company's Victoria St, Auckland, headquarters were told of the proposal on Wednesday and the Waikato Times understands from one staffer, who asked not to be named, that some of the jobs could end up in Hamilton.
It is not a stretch as Hamilton's call centre, in the CBD, is one of Telecom's largest that handles the company's 123 calls.
Telecom's 140-strong Hamilton call centre manages about 40 per cent of the company's calls. Another 40 per cent are routed to the Philippines with other Kiwi call centres picking up the slack.

[TheTron]

Mighty River Power will move into the renovated historic Hamilton Club building on Victoria St when work is done later this year, bringing another 160 corporate roles into the central business district.

Might River Power will then move into the Project Grantham building once completed.

[TheTron]

LINK


Over the next six months CTC Hamilton is to add 25 additional flight instructors to its current pool of 43. Recruitment will happen internationally.


CTC trains 200+ commercial pilots a year for airlines such as EasyJet, JetStar, Qatar Airlines, British Airways, etc.


CTC's commercial flight school makes Hamilton Airport one of the top three busiest airports in the country for plane movements.

[otumoetaiNZ]

Originally Posted by TheTron

Telecom's Hamilton call centre could absorb some of 42 Auckland positions which the telco is proposing to cut in a couple of months.
Staff at Telecom's 123 call centre based at the company's Victoria St, Auckland, headquarters were told of the proposal on Wednesday and the Waikato Times understands from one staffer, who asked not to be named, that some of the jobs could end up in Hamilton.
It is not a stretch as Hamilton's call centre, in the CBD, is one of Telecom's largest that handles the company's 123 calls.
Telecom's 140-strong Hamilton call centre manages about 40 per cent of the company's calls. Another 40 per cent are routed to the Philippines with other Kiwi call centres picking up the slack.

Hamilton would be a good site for most of the north islands call centres from Hamilton south to Wellington. Christchurch could be another great base.

[TheTron]

As someone that splits time between living in Hamilton and also in Sydney, this amused me! Whenever friends come to visit in Sydney they always want to ride the monorail. Although it is a bit of fun, the monorail is hugely impractical and is definitely not set up for commuters (carriages fitting 10 at the most!). Still, it made me laugh!

LINK

Hamilton should buy Sydney's monorail and install it in the city, running from the public library to Hamilton Gardens and back, a resident says.
Grant Stantiall put the plan to city councillors during the final day of submission hearings for the draft long-term plan.
"They had this 'the Tron city of the future' slogan floating around for a while, and maybe we need to think a little bit beyond what we are.
"Monorail has been around forever but no one in New Zealand's got one. I thought why not?"
The 3.6km Sydney monorail is to be dismantled to make room for a new convention centre at Darling Harbour and Mr Stantiall said Hamilton should consider offering "a cheeky price" to bring it to the Waikato as a visitor attraction.
The monorail was at the end of its economic life, according to New South Wales premier Barry O'Farrell whose government bought it for $19.8 million.
Mr Stantiall's submission comes at a time when the council is proposing to sell dozens of assets to repay debts.
But the administration manager said it could be just the ticket to lift Hamilton as a tourist destination.
"It was just an idea pitched there to see if it would spark anyone's imagination."
Once the monorail was up and running Mr Stantiall suggested a co-ordinated water taxi service on the Waikato River, ferrying passengers from a park-and-ride at Flagstaff, in the northern suburbs, to a monorail stop on Grantham St at the southern end of the central business district.

The boats would be for commuters and tourists, providing another transport link between the city and the suburbs, he said.
The 47-year-old acknowledged the submission, which provided no costings, was one of the quirkier received by the council during the week-long hearings.
"If someone decided to take it up and run with it that would be great."
However, Mr Stantiall wasn't expecting councillors to give his submission serious thought.
"I went in there thinking to myself if they ask how much it's going to cost basically the thing would have gone down like a lead balloon.
"But it was just there to maybe inspire some different thoughts about what we can do."

Other unlikely suggestions from submitters included moving Seddon Park cricket ground out of the city to make way for housing, and erecting statues and sculptures to record Waikato history in art for future generations.

The council must adopt the 2012-22 10-year plan by June 29.

[TheTron]

LINK

Raglan's new multimillion-dollar wharf building is close to securing two key tenants – but concerns over rent costs continue to linger.
Construction of the $1.9 million wharf building is on track to be finished by July and will replace the old building destroyed by fire in April 2010.
Waikato District Council water and facilities general manager Richard Bax said lease documents were with the Raglan Coastguard and Raglan Seafoods for signing, and discussions were continuing with other prospective tenants.
There are seven separate tenancies, with tenants having the option of letting multiple tenancies.
The building will have 635.5 square metres of leasable space, plus toilets and common areas.
Mr Bax said it was "possible" there could be empty space when the building opened, but was confident it would be fully tenanted this year.
"As with all commercial leases there are always times when tenancies are vacant for a while," he said.
Rents were based on market rates set by a contracted commercial valuer.
Raglan Community Board chairman Rodger Gallagher said some residents had expressed concern over rent costs, but he believed the council had followed standard letting processes.
"The project seems to be going down the right path. It really gets down to the fact this is a working wharf. Obviously the more activity there is on the wharf the better, but the core tenants appear to be there."
Mr Bax said the council was aware some prospective tenants had expressed concern with lease prices but said there was no plan to reduce rates.
"But there is always a negotiation opportunity."
The council would not say how much it charges per square metre, citing commercial sensitivity.
The building is expected to cost the council $1,943,000 and the total project cost, including design work and wharf repair work, $2,893,570.

[TheTron]

Tainui Group Holdings starting a $2.5 million redevelopment




Redevelopment at this site.



LINK

The drive to revitalise Hamilton's CBD has moved up a gear with Tainui Group Holdings starting a $2.5 million redevelopment of one of its lower Bryce St properties and luring a new cafe name to the city.
A Joe's Garage outlet and new boutique-style offices for TGH will be ready at 6 Bryce St by the end of the year. The existing aged-brick building on the TGH-owned land is being gutted and rebuilt inside.
TGH chief executive Mike Pohio said having Joe's Garage in Bryce St and the city's award-winning Palate restaurant moving into TGH's riverside building in lower Alma St complemented the recently completed Dining on Bryce development, and improved hospitality in the mid-Victoria St area.
TGH headquarters' move into the rejuvenated building cemented the company's commitment to the CBD, he said.
The developer of Te Rapa's The Base retail precinct plans to lease out its current headquarters off Bryce St behind the new development.
Pohio said TGH had tried to keep the aged bricks on the redeveloped building where it fronts Bryce St, but earthquake-proofing requirements and the enlargement of windows for natural light had meant all the brick exterior walls could not be retained.
A TGH-owned building fronting Bryce St closer to the Waikato River will also be leased out, with the company aiming to create a boutique office cluster in the area, Pohio said.
TGH had been prepared to wait for the right tenant for the new development, and it was good to be able to bring a new business to the region.

Joe's Garage, which markets itself as a home of good coffee and food, great music and "fringy" magazines, started in Queenstown in the old Post Office sorting room/garage 12 years ago, and is now in five lower North Island and South Island locations.

[SYDNEY]

Joe's Garage is my favourite cafe in Arrowtown - very spunky. I am so pleased to see al these positive changes taking place in Hamilton. Thanks for all the updates

[TheTron]

PWC's new 5 level office building finally begins the construction

It has sat empty for the past 17 years – save for a brief period when it was home to a giant pile of sand – but now the block of land on the corner of Ward and Anglesea streets is finally a construction site.
Work on the Citygate project started yesterday, and by June next year a five-level gleaming glass building, inspired by greenstone and designed in the shape of a triangle, will be open and ready for business with a mix of retail and office space.
On hand to give the final plans the once over yesterday was Hamilton Mayor Julie Hardaker, a long-term and vocal supporter of the project.
"Citygate is an exciting example of innovative urban design and we're pleased to see construction getting under way," she said.
Citygate has been developed by McConnell Property, which has already secured PricewaterhouseCoopers as its anchor tenant.
The development is expected to be fully occupied by the completion date, development manager Aidan Donnelly said.
The corner development will create street level retail opportunities, with businesses such as book shops, pharmacies and cafes expected to open.
Citygate's visible presence in the city was deliberate, Mr Donnelly said.
"The striking building and the sunny north-facing plaza will become a landmark for the CBD.
"More than 300 Citygate workers, 20,000 Wintec students and staff, and the Hamilton people will be able to enjoy the many benefits of these new and inspiring spaces."
Mrs Hardaker said the project was good for Hamilton's future.
"This development is a strong show of confidence in Hamilton and it is a significant contribution to our plans to drive investment into the CBD."
Wintec chief executive Mark Flowers believed the development, being right on Wintec's doorstep, was "extremely positive".
"It will open up our campus further to the heart of Hamilton City," he said.

[badbehaviour]

That Joe's Garage + boutique office development is so perfect for that part of town. I love the Korean restaurant next door (Minsokchon) and Bryce St in general has totally transformed in the past year. TGH just keep going.

Citygate is also really exciting - that intersection (Ward & Anglesea) is going to be so pedestrian-heavy, surely it would become the busiest in Hamilton if not already?

Is there any news with regard to K-Mart and when they will be moving out of the city to Te Rapa? And once they do move, what will happen to the failed "Hamilton Central" shopping centre currently half-vacant, half-filled with $2 shops?

[TheTron]

Update Waikato Expressway around Hamilton:



Current section of motorway which will be ready this year.



The bridge which will cross the river



Carrying on, even if you can't see it from the existing roads.

[TheTron]

Hamilton's Ring Road Update

River crossing bridge extension



LINK

The first section of clip-on frame is attached to the Pukete Bridge with the aid of a crane yesterday.
The clip-on is due to be completed by Christmas and is one of the more challenging aspects of Hamilton's ring-road project.
During leadup work, engineers scanned and mapped the bridge to ensure drilling avoided the reinforced steel and post-tensioning tendons.
The clip-on will be attached in sections and carry a pedestrian and cycle path, enabling the existing bridge to have four 3.1-metre-wide traffic lanes.
Yellow and blue panels will be fixed to pedestrian handrails on the bridge clip-on, symbolising kowhai flowers and the sky.
Widening the bridge to four lanes is designed to allow it to cope with projected traffic-flow increase. About 20,000 vehicles use the bridge daily.
Eastbound traffic on Wairere Dr between the Pukete intersection and the bridge will continue as one lane until the clip-on installation and bridge four-lane work is complete.

[TheTron]

Hamilton Ring Road Update Photos

[TheTron]

Originally Posted by badbehaviour

That Joe's Garage + boutique office development is so perfect for that part of town. I love the Korean restaurant next door (Minsokchon) and Bryce St in general has totally transformed in the past year. TGH just keep going.

Citygate is also really exciting - that intersection (Ward & Anglesea) is going to be so pedestrian-heavy, surely it would become the busiest in Hamilton if not already?

Is there any news with regard to K-Mart and when they will be moving out of the city to Te Rapa? And once they do move, what will happen to the failed "Hamilton Central" shopping centre currently half-vacant, half-filled with $2 shops?

I don't have any update on K-Mart sorry.

"Hamilton Central" yes, unfortunately suffers from something I can't quite place. But it ultimately meant it was filled up by dollar stores, shame, but I am sure some smart businesspeople will see an opportunity once K Mart goes.