On 28 September, Auckland Council and Auckland Transport revealed their plan for the Midtown Regeneration project in the area surrounding the forthcoming Aotea Station, part of the new CRL network.

The Council says, ”Excluding Aotea Station itself, the over station development and Watercare’s wastewater upgrade, Auckland Council is investing more than $133million into midtown in the next five years.”

Midtown is defined as the area surrounding Aotea Square and includes the Auckland Town Hall, the Sky Tower, the Auckland Art Gallery Toi of Tāmaki, Myers Park and Rangipuke Albert Park, along with the surrounding streets and laneways like Federal, Elliot, High and Lorne Streets.

The proposed Aotea Station – whose design by Jasmax and Grimshaw won a World Architecture Festival WAFX Award for Cultural Identity in 2019 – is projected to become the busiest transport hub in Auckland. Thus, Auckland Council says, “It is at the heart of a significant shift in the way people travel into, out of, and through the city and its regeneration is expected to be a catalyst for growth, productivity, a healthier and more sustainable city centre and a vibrant arts and cultural heart of Auckland.”

Projects include the Woods Bagot-designed Aotea over station development by MRCB and Eke Panuku, which was announced in March of this year, along with:

• Stage 1 of the Wellesley Street bus improvements project (Albert Street to Queen Street) – an upgraded environment for bus users and pedestrians, the Council reports
• Stage 1 of Te Hā Noa – Victoria Street Linear Park (Albert Street to Kitchener Street)
• Federal Street upgrade, extension of the shared path laneway circuit
• Wai Horotiu Queen Street Project
• Myers Park underpass upgrade
• High Street upgrade
• Hobson Street upgrade (Victoria Street to Wellesley Street)
• Aotea Centre refurbishment
• Completion of the Albert Street upgrade between Wyndham St and Wellesley St

Councillor Pippa Coom says, “We know private investment follows public investment on this scale in growing, prosperous cities with good transport connectivity and people-prioritised design, and we’ll see that in midtown.”

Investment from central government and private developers is in the pipeline for the area with projects like Auckland City Mission Homeground, the CAB development next to Aotea Square and the Kāinga Ora development on Greys Avenue.

Find out more at ourauckland.nz. More information about the planned outcomes for the regeneration of Auckland in the City Centre Masterplan can be found here.