Nelson City Council has spent almost a million dollars to purchase a site it has earmarked for a new central city bus hub for the city.
Councillors voted to buy the site at a confidential meeting on 3 April and bid at auction on the property, which has a Capital Value of $1.04 million.
The Council paid $970,000 for the site at 41 Halifax Street, adjacent to Millers Acre.
With the sale now settle, Council says the commercial building on the site will be removed and the area turned into a carpark.
“This land purchase better enables us to make it a hub for not just the Council bus service but also InterCity, tourism coaches and other operators. The extra space means we can improve the layout of the bus hub, improve access for the adjacent businesses and provide about 26 carparks,” said Mayor, Nick Smith.
He said the new hub not only provides more parking than the original plan – that combined the bus hub and car parking in Millers Acre – it also improves safety by separating the bus manoeuvring areas.
Council will be seeking part funding from Waka Kotahi in support of the new hub.
The Mayor said Council staff work with adjacent businesses and bus operators to refine the design of the hub. It is hoped that construction can begin in 2024 for completion in 2025.
“This is an exciting project to provide a vibrant transport and tourism hub at Millers Acre with the bus interchange, the updated DOC information centre and bike rental business. I am also wanting Council to consider a combined bus ticketing office and replacement i-SITE for the site,” Mayor Smith said.
“The purchase of this property for parking reflects my approach to transport of working to improve all modes of transport. It is not about buses or bikes or cars but improving the infrastructure to create a more vibrant city and support more transport choices.”
