Future thinking in Mt Vic

Future thinking in Mt Vic

When I saw the SALE sign go up on the Big Barrell site at the bottom of Elizabeth Street I lost no time in phoning up the real estate agents to find out who the new owner was.

Such a large, prominent site had so many possibilities! Would we get a new apartment block? Big box retail? Fast food?

Not gonna lie, finding out the new owner was essentially Big Barrell itself and nothing was going to change, was a bit of a disappointment.

In these somewhat depressed times, we are looking for signs of hope on the horizon – new investments, inventions, creations that will bring industry, jobs and people to our city.

The city-wide malaise has encouraged some visionaries to come forward with ideas for rejuvenating Wellington. It made me wonder what we would come up with for Mt Victoria, to make it even better than it is.

For example, our suburb does lack facilities.  Other suburbs have community centres where locals can run classes, hold events and meetings.  Since the closure of Crossways more than ten years ago, Mt Victoria has largely been without a suitable centre.  We only have the Hub, and it is used by a number of groups to get together, but the space is tiny.

While there are a handful of church and club halls (and Clyde Quay School’s renovation of their school hall comes with the promise that this may also be used by the community) we don’t have a proper council-owned facility that’s open for public use.

Other suburbs, such as Aro Valley and Newtown, have well-used community centres that bring people together in the neighbourhood.

The traffic work around the Basin Reserve, as part of a possible new tunnel, could throw up some opportunities for new landscaping and beautification, if NZTA/Waka Kotahi is willing to work with locals. Could it also result in opportunities for new facilities, if the corner of the suburb by the Basin gets a makeover?

Another thought is adding more amenity around the town belt.

In my view, the Pirie Street Playground is crying out for a café.  It would be amazing to be able to collect a coffee after your walk or bike ride on Mt Vic, and great for parents to be able to sit with a drink and while watching their kids play at the playground.

The Mt Victoria Residents’ Association has already been advocating for toilets at the park but perhaps we should be more ambitious?

Those are my ideas - do you have ideas about how our suburb could be improved?  We always welcome letters to the editor.  Feel free to write in!