Library and Civic Area

What is a civic area? 

A Civic Area houses the city’s elected leaders and administration. It can also include other community facilities such as libraries, museums, community meeting rooms, support service organisations and outdoor public gathering spaces. It often includes other government agencies such as NZ Police or the District Court, for example. 

Where is Napier’s civic area and why do we need to redevelop it? 

Up until 2017, Napier’s civic area was the city block bound by Station Street, Dalton Street and Hastings Street. It included Council’s administration and governance functions in two buildings, along with an adjoining building that housed the library. It was also very close to Napier District Court. 

When Council and the library moved out of their buildings due to earthquake risks in 2017, the area became largely deserted. We want to create new economic activity and energy at this end of town.   

 We now have an opportunity to create fit for purpose buildings for our library, and our civic and governance activities. We are taking a financially responsible approach to this project by proposing a staged approach to development. We will prioritise our public-facing facilities first, with the library, community spaces, customer services and governance facilities forming stage one of the development. Council administrative offices will be considered later. 

Opportunities like this don’t come up often. We now have a chance to design a special place for ceremonial events and celebrations that acknowledge Napier’s history and its diverse cultures.  

What is the Library and Civic Area Plan? 

The Library and Civic Area Plan is not a detailed design. It is a plan that lays out the desired ideas for the Library and Civic Area - the block bound by Hastings, Dalton and Station Streets and the surrounding area. For example, what type of spaces, buildings and activities do we want the area to include? How will we use the area? Which organisations should be housed there? 

Think of the plan as being pieces of a puzzle that fit together to best meet the needs of the different groups in our community. 

What happened to the hotel that was going to be built there? 

After the 2020 Alert Level 4 lockdown, the company proposing to develop the hotel decided not to continue with its plans. 

Why not re-strengthen the existing buildings? 

The civic bulding is being demolished, but no decisions have been made on the library tower. However, re-strengthening this building is not necessarily the cheapest or best option. We need to consider a range of factors when designing the new area. These include community activities and events that the current site is not designed to host. We want the area to become a focal point for the city that can be used for many purposes, not just buildings to house Council and the library. 

Will the library be going back to its old building? 

No. Please refer to the Library and Civic Area Plan. 

Will the bus stop be a part of the area? 

We are looking to improve bus transport facilities and will ensure that the library and civic area provides easy access to all modes of transport and be pedestrian and cycle friendly. We particularly want to encourage access and links to sustainable transport options. 

Will Civic Court be included in the planning? 

Civic Court on Station Street is on the edge of the library and civic area and will be considered as a key part of the plan. We will consider how we can positively influence the design and operation of the surrounding areas to mutually benefit both the library and civic area and the businesses and activities that take place nearby. 

Will there be residential areas included? 

Inner city living is being considered around the fringes of the library and civic area.  

Why construct near the sea when there are concerns about sea level rises? 

The library and civic area is around ten metres above sea level. The current 100-year flood level along Napier’s coast is 5.7 metres above sea level. Research suggests that sea levels will rise 0.6 metres in the next 50 years, bringing a 100-year flood event level to 6.3 metres, well below ten metres.  

What about any future changes to how local government is organised? 

Any proposals about local government reform that might come into being will be factored into our considerations when detailed design begins. We know the future of local government is uncertain and that is why we are planning to focus on council administrative offices at a later stage of this project. We will develop flexible, adaptable, future-proofed buildings and spaces. 

Does Council have the option to divest the land the old Council building and library sits on? 

In 2017, Council adopted a decision to have the option to divest, either by long term lease or sale, the site on which the civic building is currently located to a private developer for commercial development. 

What are the seismic issues with the former civic and library buildings?  

The former civic and library buildings were two of the first in the country to have been assessed using a new technique introduced nationwide at the end of 2016. Seismic reports in 2017 are very different to those undertaken in 2010 prior to the Christchurch earthquake. The rules and requirements have changed since then. We undertook the seismic assessment based on the latest standards. When a building is assessed, an assessor assigns a rating to various points of a building. Under the Building Act, assessors are required to take the lowest rating and assign this to the entire building. This means that while the Civic Building has been rated at 10%, and the Library Building at 15%, not every part of each building carries this level of risk. The risk is calculated against the chance of a 1 in 1000-year earthquake event happening – this is an extremely powerful earthquake.