Chambers Laneway Upgrade

19 September 2023 - 31 December 2024

Old Papatoetoe
In Progress

In response to community concerns, Eke Panuku are delivering a fresh new Chambers Laneway.

The upgraded laneway runs from and includes the Civic Plaza on St George Street, through to the Wallace Road car park and Piko Toetoe development.

The concept design for the upgrade was approved by the Ōtara-Papatoetoe Local Board in September 2023. It will deliver safer public spaces, improved pedestrian and public transport user experiences, and reflect the area’s distinctive cultural history, while enhancing the local natural environment.

Construction is scheduled to start in September 2024 and will take approximately three to four months. Access to existing shops will be maintained through the construction period.

Before and after

A comparison slider showing the space before works began and an illustrative render of what the finished space could look like.

Drag the toggle left and right to compare

Improved safety

This was a primary concern of the local board and local community. The design will:

provide clear sightlines through removing the existing canopy and utility boxes
replace the existing two bus shelters with a single, more see-through structure
improve lighting for night-time use, which will also make existing CCTV coverage more effective
remove or relocate seating in difficult to see areas,
encourage more pedestrian presence between St George Street and Stadium Reserve, which will soon be upgraded

Enhanced pedestrian and public transport-user experience

To create a more people friendly environment to linger in and move through:

improve the entrance of the laneway by relocating the existing utility box and the canopy
a single, more attractive, less view-obstructing bus shelter
improve lighting for night-time safety
new paving to provide easier access and a fresh new look and feel
new attractive planting, while retaining significant mature trees

Incorporate our distinctive mana whenua culture

As with all significant Eke Panuku commissioned projects, the design will reflect the unique status of our mana whenua, enhancing sense of place through:

the installation of a large mural, designed in collaboration with mana whenua, along the eastern side of the laneway.

Enhance the natural environment

applying water sensitive urban design principles to the management of stormwater, channelling it into in-ground planters, reducing run-off into the downstream environment
provide a green link between the St George Street and the Stadium Reserve with new planters along the laneway and retaining the existing mature totara and puriri trees