Hilton for Wellington
The Dom Post reports:
A five-star Hilton Hotel looks increasingly certain to be built on the capital’s waterfront.
Wellington Waterfront chief executive Ian Pike said the project had been on hold until after a Wellington City Council vote on a district plan change.
The council voted to accept Variation 11 on Wednesday night, in effect clearing the way for three new buildings to go up on the city’s shoreline at Kumutoto Wharf.
The luxury hotel chain has been in negotiations with the council about building on so-called site 10, where the all-clear has been given for a 30-metre-high building.
Yay. We badly need a five star hotel in Wellington, It is a pity the original site next to Dockside was turned down, as the existing sports building is an absolute eyesore.
November 13th, 2009 at 11:03 am
Kerry Prendergast needs it because she has not addressed about the Piers and their upkeep since she was Deputy Mayor and now Mayor of Wellington.
What does Variation 11 say about Public consultation DPF?
November 13th, 2009 at 11:56 am
A 10 storey high-rise on the Waterfront – that’s an idiotic decision by the Council.
November 13th, 2009 at 3:59 pm
Things Wellington needs:
1) A decent mayor
That’s it.
Actually, if you look at where it’s going to be, then it’s not so bad. It’s pretty built up around there anyway. That’s the NZ Post building it’ll block off, right? That’s 10-or-so storeys, and if it blocks their view, fuck them. They should be working, not looking out of the window.
November 13th, 2009 at 4:12 pm
How Kerry has gone about this reminds me of the retrospective law change a previous government carried out to make a wrong right. The general public didn’t want it but now a 10 story highrise is going to planted there. Services vehicles, buses, taxis coming and going (right through a public space). Kerry is bad for Wellington, I hope she doesn’t stand again. But Kerry is probably thinking ‘F**K em’. “Rex said is was a good idea so I agree”.
November 13th, 2009 at 4:54 pm
How do you squeeze 10 storeys into 30m? Would be lucky to be 5-stars with that design.
November 13th, 2009 at 5:01 pm
The Intercontinental in Wellington is 5 star AFAIK. It was re-furbished when it was taken over from Park RoyalSome years back I spent a night at the Los Angeles Airport Hilton and did not consider it any superior than usual ‘good’ hotels. Granted it would have been superior to the Blackball or Hanoi Hilton.
November 13th, 2009 at 5:17 pm
DPF: “Yay. We badly need a five star hotel in Wellington, It is a pity the original site next to Dockside was turned down, as the existing sports building is an absolute eyesore.”
David, can you give us a list of the people who won’t come here because there isn’t one, so that we can see whether they are worth destroying our open waterfront to get them here?
I agree with your opinion on the so called event centre, and would like to see it flattened (and perhaps become a part of an expanded Frank Kitts Park)
November 13th, 2009 at 7:57 pm
Brian>David, can you give us a list of the people who won’t come here because there isn’t one, so that we can see whether they are worth destroying our open waterfront to get them here?
Destroying our open waterfront? The site at the moment is a tatty windswept open air car park. If you want to spend your weekend picnicing in the middle of it, then you’ve welcome to. Especially in the nine months of the year when Wellington isn’t sunny and still. But I’d prefer to populate the waterfront with a mix of buildings, open spaces, and linear connectors that allow cycling and walking. Take Meridian as an example. It looks good, allows people to meet friends for coffee all twelve months of the year, is surrounded by interesting but usable public space, and brings people across a six lane road towards the harbour throughout the working day. It’s brilliant, whereas your treasured car park is an unsightly mess.
November 13th, 2009 at 8:00 pm
No real argument with that Davidp, except that the Hilton option seems to preclude “a mix of buildings, open spaces, and linear connectors that allow cycling and walking”
I do not treasure the car park to which you refer.
November 13th, 2009 at 8:08 pm
Anyone would think Wellington had a climate like Miami- imagine enjoying your outdoor public space on all those balmy Wellington winter afternoons.
There’s nothing to stop the council to ask the Hilton to improve their outdoor environment- if they are that desperate for the site I’m they will be happy to do some landscaping.
November 13th, 2009 at 10:33 pm
The Hilton chain obviously heard about the NZ Parliamentary perks.
November 14th, 2009 at 12:16 am
Brian>except that the Hilton option seems to preclude “a mix of buildings, open spaces, and linear connectors that allow cycling and walking”
Everything built on the waterfront so far (excepting the commercial parts of the port) includes adjacent pedestrian and bicycle right of ways, and has open space surrounding it. Usually designed to a high standard, altho TSB at Queens Wharf leaves a bit to be desired. Why do you think a hotel development would be any different? The developers haven’t released a design, so you’re not commenting on the basis of any plans or even conceptual drawings.
People like buildings, especially in a climate like Wellington’s where large areas of open space are often muddy, cold, and windswept. Compare the number of people enjoying Lambton Quay or Courtenay Place with those typically found hiking around bits of the town belt. Or, if you want a better example, take the waterfront itself. I used to walk around bits of it in my lunch hours in the late 1980s. There wasn’t much development, and I was almost always alone. Now there is a real buzz about the place. People are attracted by museums, cafes, and shops. And people are starting to work there in offices and retail, which adds life during working hours.
November 14th, 2009 at 9:39 am
Since the Meridian Building opened, the immediate north of queens wharf area looks fantastic. The North Kumumoto Wharf area looks like a dump as an open car park. If a 30 metre building with upscale bars/cafes on the ground floor were built there it would make the waterfront so more attractive.
I usually cycle along the waterfront as a “cool down” after cycling from the Hutt, I’ve never had any problems with access. The main problem is so many other cyclists and pedestrians means occasionally having to swerve to keep out of their way.