Future waterfront
I’ve been asked to give a brief talk to the board and management of Wellington Waterfront Ltd (WWL) about my “three top priority ideas for the waterfront”. It will be no suprise to most of you that I won’t struggle for things to say, but while I’ve been asked to speak as an individual rather than as a representative for any group, I’d like to get your input into this.
‘Pocket-city at the Edge of the World’
The Sydney Morning Herald features a rather rave write-up on Wellington on their website today:
After years of relative obscurity, the city is blossoming. It has reinvented itself as an elegant, modern place without the arrogance that often accompanies such development.
Okay, maybe we could have done without the ‘years of relative obscurity’ part.
Future City
In a recent post, I mentioned that I had seen projections of an extra 3,000 inner-city residents within the next few years, but that I couldn’t find a reference to the study. As it turns out, the campaigners against the controversial Harbour Quays development have come to my rescue: their report on the potential economic impacts (530kB PDF) includes a table of actual and forecast CBD household numbers from 1991 to 2021 (page 14). They list the sources as Statistics NZ, Bayleys and Property Economics (the authors of the report), but I couldn’t find out whether the future figures were based upon economic and demographic modelling or simple extrapolation.
But let’s take the numbers as read, and use them to estimate the increase in inner-city population by taking a nominal average household size of 3. This is a bit smaller than the current average for the CBD, but household sizes are generally falling, so it seems a reasonable guesstimate. This gives an extra 3,300 people by 2011, and 11,000 extra by 2021: a 75% increase over the current CBD population!
Whares? No worries.
When they were first proposed, the Wharenui and Wharewaka at Taranaki St Wharf were among the least controversial developments on the waterfront. Even Waterfront Watch seemed to cautiously approve, given that these were low-rise cultural facilities rather than medium-rise buildings with commercial components, though some of their members managed to find views that would be blocked. However, that quickly changed once the rowing clubs realised that they might have to lose some parking space, and the dispute has only just been resolved.
Craftwerk #4
Anyone would think I have some kind of vested interest in Craftwerk…
Anyhow, last minute reminder.
Tonight, the Paramount, 5.30-8.30.
Craft, booze, music and big screen Atari.
Hot baby.
Mystery bar number 36
Okay, last week’s mystery bar was way too easy: it’s Electric Avenue in Courtenay Place, which has just opened in the two storey building vacated by Saffron last year. Most bars go for a stealthy approach when they’re under renovation, keeping their windows papered over until the opening, but Electric Avenue took the unusual approach of actually displaying architectural plans and sketches, so we all had a fair idea of how it would look when it opened.
So, now we have an Eighties bar: hooray.
Wheeler’s Luck
You are invited to Wheeler’s Luck fundraising gala.
Come along and support the boys as they take on The Edinburgh Festival.
Two nights only, July 25th and 26th at 9pm Bats Theatre.
For bookings phone 802 4175, or email: book@bats.co.nz
The reviewers say:
“Hugely entertaining and quirkily Kiwi …two brilliantly talented comic actors create not only an entire community with over 400 locals, but also a dance routine, pub brawl, shipwreck and, dizzyingly, a bareback horse race… Energising, hilarious and perceptive, this beautifully honed show is pure theatrical magic” New Zealand Listener, 2006
“The whole story is told in 80 extraordinary minutes through 55 characters and a pet rock, all created with minimalist wit, great ingenuity and monumental talent by Toby Leach and Nigel Collins…. there is no one you don’t know, or know of, in this community.” National Business Review, 2005
“…gloriously performed …rivalling Ben Hur for excitement but much funnier …a sure fire hit.” Dominion Post, 2005
Piss artist
When one thinks of Jerry Collins, one’s mind immediately turns to … elderflowers. That’s because Matterhorn’s “Jerry Collins” cocktail (a version of the classic Tom Collins) incorporates such manly ingredients as elderflower cordial and feijoa vodka. That’s hardly news to Wellingtonians, but its fame has spread across the Tasman and got a whole article in the Sydney Morning Herald’s “Rugby Heaven” (hat tip to Duncan in Sydney for the link).
When I asked the bar staff about it this morning, they hadn’t heard of the article, but they were amused to read their boss’s quote that “When the All Blacks or Hurricanes play in Wellington and feel like going to a bar for a drink they can come to the Matterhorn and nobody will mob them for autographs, or in many cases even know who they are”. They probably get mistaken for members of Fat Freddy’s Drop.
Apparently the name is ironic. Really? I thought it was because elderflowers are a diuretic.
Does Harbour Quays suck?
You’ve probably seen the articles and full-page ads in the Dominion Post by a group opposing the Harbour Quays development, and may have looked at their Vibrant Wellington website. I’ve written about Harbour Quays several times before, and while I’ve always been sceptical of the “office park” concept, I must admit I was a little wary of the opposing campaign, since it seems to be driven by a group of property developers and commercial landlords worried that cheap competition might undercut the soaring office rents that they’re currently enjoying. But last Thursday’s “open letter to the city of Wellington” was also signed by retailers, restaurateurs and three of Wellington’s most prominent architects, so clearly there’s a broader base to the opposition.
Espressoholics – The Final Countdown
Hadyn wrote about the National Barista Awards a few days ago.
At the edge of cutting edge blogging is the intrepid moi to report on action at the scene.
It is tense – well, not really, but it seemed an appropriate thing to say.
It is black. Well the people there are all in black, without exception, competitors and spectators alike.
It is free.
So get down there NOW. Have a coffee (free), listen to the DJ (free). Have a ball (priceless).
Level 3, Te Papa