Wellington’s Te Ngākau Civic Square to get new commercial space

A new commercial space has been announced for Wellington’s Te Ngākau Civic Square.

The Wellington City Council said its chosen development company Precinct Properties had a proven track record with spaces like this, having done both the Wynyard Quarter and Commercial Bay in Auckland.

The two former council buildings, the Civic Administration Building and the Municipal Office Building, will be demolished at the council’s expense, to be replaced by a new development containing office spaces, eateries and shops.

The upper levels of the building would be up for commercial lease, and the building would also provide front-of-house functions for the next door Town Hall.

The chosen option was no cost, no risk for council, it said, and the strong “placemaking” aspect to the proposal was in line with the council’s desire to make the square an attractive cultural space.

Both buildings should be demolished by the end of 2025, allowing development of the new building to begin.

The council called it a “five-star green building”.

Mayor Tory Whanau and elected members were briefed on Thursday afternoon.

Whanau said while the proposed development deal remained subject to extensive negotiations, she was excited about the proposal and what it meant for the inner city.

“The more work we do to revamp our currently under-utilised spaces and attract people and businesses back, the safer and more enjoyable it will be to use.”

Precinct is an NZX listed company.

“The decision to select a private developer means the developer funds and undertakes the redevelopment,” Whanau said. “This means the city council avoids the cost and risk of redeveloping the site which we know can be challenging from our experiences with the Town Hall, while still ensuring that key requirements for the site are met.”

Commercial negotiation between the council and Precinct was expected to be completed this year, and the key terms of the development agreement would be presented to elected members once finalised.

Council chief operating officer James Roberts said Precinct Properties’ proposal was exceptional.

“We were very impressed with how they balanced the vision for a civic and cultural space with the reality of the commercial requirements. Add in their team’s impressive track record, and we are confident this project will be a success,” he said.

Precinct chief executive Scott Pritchard said they were a committed long-term investor in Wellington, having developed, owned and managed commercial property there for years.

“A proposed mixed-use redevelopment on this site aligns with Precinct’s strategy having recently completed Bowen Campus and Willis Lane in Wellington and Commercial Bay in Auckland.”

Councillors were also updated on other projects, including Te Matapihi Central Library and the Town Hall. Both projects remained within budgets approved by the council, with the library on track to be completed by end of 2025 and opened early 2026, and the Town Hall completed in 2027.

A master development plan for the precinct is also underway, with a draft plan expected by June.

An announcement on proposed new council head-office space in the central city is expected within the next three weeks.