Businesses upset at losing car parks in proposed $33m street upgrade for Christchurch stadium

The streets around Christchurch’s planned stadium are in line for a $33 million overhaul, but new mayor Phil Mauger wants to delay the work.

Mauger, who was announced as the city’s mayor on Saturday, wants to put the money into funding the $200m stadium shortfall instead.

But on day one of his mayoralty, Christchurch City Council launched consultation on the scheme and released its proposed plans covering Lichfield, Madras, Tuam and Barbadoes streets.

Footpaths will be widened to up to 5.8m on some streets, speeds lowered to 10kph or 30kph, car parks taken away and room allowed for cycle lanes, gardens and outdoor dining.

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However, businesses along one of the routes are not happy with the plans, as they do not want to lose parking.

The council’s consultation document said the upgrades were designed to cater for large influxes of traffic and pedestrians attending events at the stadium, Te Kaha.

If approved, the work would start some time next year and be completed by 2026, when Te Kaha is due to open.

But Mauger said on Sunday – before the council released the proposed plans – that he wanted to delay work on the surrounding streets until after the stadium was built.

“I would rather, as a ratepayer, drive down the streets as they are and pay that $24m (sic) off the stadium.”

While Mauger said the cost was $24m, the council’s consultation document said it was $33m.

Mauger said the work should be done, but only “when people come and we get more money”.

“You’ve got to cut your cloth to suit the budget.”

Mauger was asked to comment further on the council’s plan on Monday, but Stuff was told he did not have time for an interview.

Council planning and delivery transport manager Jacob Bradbury​ said once Te Kaha opened, it would frequently host events attracting 15,000 to 20,000 people and even more when international sport games and concerts were held.

“Our experience with Orangetheory Stadium and Lancaster Park has taught us that the surrounding streets need to be designed for these large influxes of traffic and pedestrians.”

The planned upgrades would reduce the need for expensive area-wide traffic management plans at events, the council said.

The work also includes upgrading underground sewerage, stormwater and water pipes.

Central ward councillor Jake McLellan said it would be great if some money could be shaved off the total cost of the project, but he believed the work needed to be done.

“We need a way for people to get into the stadium.”

He believed the council needed to avoid a situation where it ripped up the roads after the stadium opened.

Lichfield St between Manchester and Madras streets is expected to see the largest influx of pedestrians as people walk from the bus interchange and nearby car-parking buildings to Te Kaha’s main entrance.

Two options have been proposed for this stretch. The council’s preferred design would see the road reduced to a single lane one-way eastbound.

The speed limit would be reduced to 10kph and the area would have wider footpaths, gardens, more space for outdoor dining and scooter and bike parking, but all existing on-street car parks would be removed.

However, the Central City Business Association (CCBA) was concerned about how this option might affect local businesses, so another option has been included which retains two-way traffic and 23 of the existing 72 car parks.

CCBA chairperson Annabel Turley said businesses were concerned about the removal of car parks and further disruption, having already been through enough after waiting for the stadium to be built.

She said people still come into the city with cars and the needed to be catered for, and did not think outdoor dining would be possible on Lichfield St because of the easterly wind.

Madras St would remain one-way, but the footpath on the eastern side between St Asaph St and Latimer Sq would be widened to 5.3m and 28 car parks removed.

The footpath on the northern side of Tuam St, from Madras to Barbadoes streets immediately adjacent the stadium, would be widened to 5.8m. To do this, 15 car parks would be removed from the northern side and five added on the southern side.

The plans are open for consultation until November 7.