Positive Step Taken in Downtown Car Park/Metro Plaza Access

Access issues between the Downtown Car Park and the Metro Plaza shopping mall have taken a step closer to being resolved following a meeting of the Monitoring Committee tonight (Tuesday).


The committee has authorised council staff to begin negotiations on a formal access agreement with the owners of Metro Plaza – Spreadpeace Investments Ltd.

If a formal agreement – with no ongoing costs being paid by the council – cannot be reached, NPDC will leave it up to Spreadpeace Investments to keep the access open or close it off, says General Manager Community Assets Anthony Wilson.

“Obviously we’d prefer having a formal agreement as that would give certainty of access for the public and Metro Plaza’s tenants,” he says.

“But if a formal agreement can’t be reached, then a decision about continuing access between the car park and the plaza will be in Spreadpeace Investments’ hands. The council will not be closing off access.”

Discussions to formalise the access between the two buildings began in 2003 with the previous owner of Metro Plaza. Issues around a dramatic increase in charges to the common walkway power account (which NPDC had been paying), and perceived benefits to both parties for keeping the access open, have resulted in no agreement being signed to date.

“The owners have suggested that the council should pay them to ensure continued access through the plaza from the car park. But we think it’s quite wrong that ratepayer’s money should have to fund this,” says Mr Wilson.

“In our view Metro Plaza benefits from this access as much, if not more, than the council or the public. The access ensures that numerous shoppers walk through their mall between the car park and Devon St East every day.”

The access between the two buildings gives the public an easy route to the car park from the street, and enables drivers to walk through Metro Plaza to and from their cars.