With lots of new homes, Northcote is one of Auckland’s fastest growing suburbs and it’s easy to understand why.
Close to the city-centre, with great schools and nearby beaches, it a multi-cultural melting pot, boasting an array of great Asian eateries and a distinct vibe.
Northcote shopping centre to get some love
With many new residents, the shopping centre at the heart of Northcote, which was state-of-the-art in the 1960’s, now needs some love.
Eke Panuku Development, Auckland Council’s urban regeneration agency, together with development partners, Kaipātiki Local Board, locals, and others, is leading the regeneration of the town centre – Northcote Central.
Building on Northcote’s unique character, Northcote Central will be reshaped to create a more thriving heart for the community - a place where locals, culture and businesses can flourish.
In stages, over the next 10 years, there will be a larger supermarket, new shops, offices, eateries, homes, car parking, and a town square.
Combined with this, other developments are underway to help the transformation of Northcote come together and make it an even better place to live, work, shop and do business.
New community hub
Starting mid-late next year, the heritage-listed Northcote Library building will be refurbished and expanded to become a new community hub. The hub will bring together the library, other community services - Northart, Hearts and Minds, Plunket, and the Citizens Advice Bureau – and community rooms for hire, in one modern, multi-purpose space.
A key feature will be a large, covered verandah that will connect the hub to the green space next door, Puāwai Cadness Reserve, which is getting a significant makeover. There will more trees and plants, two new play areas for younger and older children, two garden areas, public toilets, and a large lawn area to make it a more attractive, enjoyable community space.
In early-mid-2025, the library will move into a smaller temporary community hub at 1 Ernie Mays Street, Northcote, to enable construction to begin. From January 2025, Northart, Hearts and Minds, Plunket, and the Citizens Advice Bureau will start to shift into this same space, to bring community services together.
Construction is expected to take 3 years to complete.
New main street - extension of Ernie Mays Street
To create a new main street and bus route, and key walking, cycling and visual connections to the community hub and wonderful new green space of Te Ara Awataha and upgraded Puāwai Cadness Reserve, Ernie Mays Street is being realigned and extended to Lake Road in stages. And, drainage will be improved to prevent flooding, a significant problem in the past.
For this to happen and create the space for the regenerated town centre, some older buildings are being removed. Rather than being demolished, they will be taken apart – at a similar cost – and material will be recycled and reused, wherever possible. It’s better for the planet and supports Northcote’s aspirations and the council’s vision to be zero-waste by 2040, so little or no landfill waste.
In December 2024, Aim High Café – a popular spot in the town centre – is shifting a few doors away to 17 Pearn Place, so their current aging building can be taken apart in January 2025. At the same time, two community organisations, based in the opposite Norman King Building, Hearts and Minds and Northart, will shift to the temporary community hub, so this building can also be removed in February 2025. Disruption while this work is happening will be kept to a minimum as much as possible.
Te Ara Awataha – Northcote’s new greenway will be completed
Northcote has a new greenway, Te Ara Awataha. The pathway runs through the Northcote neighbourhood, alongside the Awataha Stream, and links a series of reserves. The stream has been partly brought to the surface from underground pipes to provide many environmental, health, stormwater, and community benefits. There’s one final town centre section of the greenway to complete. Work will be start from mid-2025, to make the area more attractive and useable and, without the Norman King Building, it will be a much more visible feature of the town centre.
Once completed, Te Ara Awataha will stretch from the source of the Awataha Stream, in Papa ki Awataha Jessie Tonar Scout Reserve, to Te Kaitaka Greenslade Reserve and the town centre and all the way to Kukari pocket park. 1.5km of greenway for everyone to enjoy.
Northcote – it’s coming together
With some many projects coming together in Northcote, there’s much to look forward to. For more information, visit: www.ekepanuku.co.nz/northcote
Additionally, for a visual of the future Northcote Town Centre click here for a PDF [367 KB] of the map.
