A concept design for the Chambers Laneway in Old Papatoetoe has been approved by Ōtara-Papatoetoe Local Board
Chambers Laneway forms part of the Eke Panuku led Unlock Old Papatoetoe regeneration programme, designed to deliver upgrades to the civic plaza in front of the Chambers Building on St George Street and the laneway between St George and Stadium Reserve.
Board chair Apulu Reece Autagavaia says the project aims to discourage antisocial behaviour and improve safety in the plaza and laneway.
“The design we have approved will achieve that by providing clear sightlines from the main street and increasing lighting throughout the project area.
“The upgraded laneway will strengthen the connection between the main street and Stadium Reserve, something that should encourage more public use and establish the precinct as Old Papatoetoe’s recreational heart.”
The board approved the Papatoetoe Stadium Reserve Concept Design in June, with the reserve to undergo an upgrade to make it more suitable for recreation.
Autagavaia says several lanes link St George Street to Stadium Reserve, and Chambers Laneway potentially offers the most significant connection being adjacent to the key civic space by the Papatoetoe Town Hall.
“Residents have been concerned that Chambers Laneway currently attracts antisocial behaviour because of its layout, which includes hidden seating areas with poor sightlines from the main street, and inadequate lighting.
“The design offers good solutions for those issues.”
Better safety outcomes will be achieved by removing an existing overhead canopy and utility boxes that now obscure clear sightlines into the civic plaza and through the lane towards the reserve.
Two existing bus shelters will be consolidated into one, with a more transparent structure to aid visibility.
New lighting for the plaza and the laneway, along with existing CCTV, will help with public perceptions of safety and discourage bad behaviour.
The design strategy focuses on the removing clutter to provide a more open, safe and attractive space for use by the community, with residents offered a safer place to gather in full view of the street.
New paving will draw on the existing main street paving design, and in-ground planters in the civic plaza and down the western side of the lane will provide a green link between the street and the reserve.
Mana whenua input is being sought to assist with an opportunity to install a mural on the New World wall to establish a strong cultural identity and sense of place.
Find out more about the St George’s Lane project here.
Meanwhile, construction is about to start on Tavern Lane, which will be closed throughout the duration of the work.
