Actions
Issued 24 December 2019 and updated 22 April 2020
STAGE ONE ACTIONS FROM GREYMOUTH CBD REDEVELOPMENT PLAN REVEALED
The Greymouth CBD Redevelopment Forum have been hard at work behind the scenes working on an implementation plan for stage one actions arising from the CBD Redevelopment Plan. Feedback from the community has been taken into account, as well as looking at actions that will have a positive, visual impact of beautifying and tidying up the CBD.
The Forum are pleased to advise that the following projects will be undertaken as stage one:
Rewilding the township
Selected gardens beds will be replanted in a Wild West Coast theme incorporating wispy grass, red flax and Pohutukawa trees to complement existing planting in the Town Square. Areas to be done are:
- Mackay Street by Westpac and Robert Harris; and
- Entrance to town by Revingtons, including the roundabout.
Artwork on buildings
Once the Revingtons building is demolished, this area will be highly visible to motorists and pedestrians. We are planning on working with building owners in the vicinity to have artwork painted on selected buildings to tidy up the area and create positive visual impact. The artwork has not been selected yet but will incorporate the Pohutukawa /Wild West Coast theme and introduce iwi narrative/artwork.
Signage / flags
A Greymouth sign will be commissioned for placing either at the town entrance or by the proposed sculpture. It is also intended to run a flag design competition (with a Pohutukawa / Wild West Coast theme) for our street flags.
We are looking forward to getting stuck in and starting on these projects for our CBD and work will commence in the new year. The chosen themes are about celebrating the West Coast and bringing colour and vibrancy into the centre of our town to create a welcoming environment for people to enjoy.
Sculpture
A sculpture will be commissioned to represent a Pohutukawa / Wild West Coast theme. This sculpture will become an iconic tourist attraction for Greymouth. The location of the sculpture is still to be determined and will be based on complementing the Town Square, being highly visible and being in a safe place for photographing. An expression of interest process will be carried out early next year and details regarding criteria will be made available then. An expression of interest was issued in February 2020 but this action has since been put on hold to instead initially focus on rewilding initiatives.
The success of our CBD relies on all parties working together, including Forum members, business owners and the general Greymouth community. The Forum have been lucky to have committed people participating, including the Greymouth Business & Promotions Association, Grey District Council, Mawhera Incorporation, Development West Coast and independently chaired by Alex Cabrera of the Tai Poutini Polytech. Our thanks to everyone involved in this project and to the community for their passion for our wonderful home town of Greymouth.