Business South March 2021

18 | DEVELOPMENT Ashburton District Council Revamp enters second exciting year T T Kim Newth Central Ashburton is being transformed as the town’s $15 million CBD revitalisation project continues apace. S treetscapes in central Ashburton are being transformed as the town’s $15 mil- lion CBD revitalisation project continues apace. With a vision of future-proofing and civic vibrancy driving the project, the makeover has been designed to create a thriving commercial heart for the town that will serve business and the wider community well for many years to come. “Ashburton’s town centre upgrade is fast taking shape with new streetscapes that are giving Ashburton a whole new look and feel,” says Ashburton District Council Mayor Neil Brown. “ “We have another year of works ahead of us but the project is now well underway, with Cass Street complete and Tancred Street near- ing completion with beautiful landscaping and new street furniture, lighting and seating.” Concept plans, honed through a process of community consultation, were adopted by the Ashburton District Council in August 2018. Final design schemes developed by AECOM, in association with Jasmax, were completed in September 2019. The project includes cycle paths, shared and connected spaces, an upgraded village green, new plantings and rain gardens, new street furniture and lighting, and the creation of a new 30km/hour speed zone in the CBD area bounded by East, Moore, Cass and Havelock Streets. The construction tender was awarded to Tru-Line Civil in December 2019 with physical works starting in late January 2020. The company has been hard at work since then replacing and upgrading town centre three waters infrastructure, constructing new road and footpath surfaces and installing new landscape features. Leafy new trees are being established to frame views, soften streets and lend seasonal colour. Fraxinus excelsior ‘Green Glow’ decidu- ous ash trees, a species that was developed in Ashburton by Allenton Nurseries in the 1990s, have been planted along Cass Street. These tall trees flourish in Mid Canterbury conditions and produce beautiful autumnal foliage, making them an ideal avenue tree for the town. Cass and Tancred Streets have been a hive of construction activity in 2020. Much of the work has focused on upgrading and renewing underground infrastructure, such as water, wastewater, stormwater, electricity and fibre as well as the more visible paving, planting and lighting improvements. Work on Cass Street entered its final phase towards the end of the year with planting of the ash trees and new gardens, new road signs and markings going in and the instal- lation of street furniture including new seats and bins. Tancred Street was also on track for com- pletion by the end of the year and has been changed to a one-way road from East Steet. The next phase – to upgrade East and Bur- nett Streets - begins in 2021. East Street will be the first focus for the construction team with work starting in January from Moore Street and north (in the green area between the street and railway line). Work on Burnett Street is due to start in February. With the Council’s new Community Library and Civic Offices build to begin in 2021 in Baring Square East, the upgrade work for Havelock Street will be put on hold until the build work is complet- ed in late 2022. The Council has liaised closely with local businesses and property owners to reduce disruption as much as possible during the project. Throughout 2020, Tru-Line Civil has also been mindful of the needs of CBD businesses, particularly in the wake of the Covid-19 lockdown. Some construction activity was timed to take place at night. Regular email and text alerts have been distributed by the Council to keep the business community informed of progress. Once completed, the CBD revitalisation project is expected to attract more business into the CBD and encourage more shopping and retail activity. The CBD area will present in a much more attractive way and provide more opportuni- ties for street festivals and other larger town events. The design scheme is available on the Coun- cil’s website. For more info on the project, visit www.ashburtondc.govt.nz/ashburtoncbd O U T E R S P A C E L A N D S C A P E S . C O . N Z DES IGN & BUI LD COMMERC I AL EDUCAT ION RES IDENT I AL CALL ON 0800 100 750 FOR A FREE CONSULTATION Rubber Matting Supply & Install