MEDIA RELEASE
15 February 2005

Civic car park gets extra support in time for AK05

The roof of the Auckland Civic car park is to be temporarily bolstered to reduce the likelihood of further damage from crowds expected for the AK05 events which launch in Aotea Square on 25 February.

Temporary steel supports will be placed on the first floor of the car park, directly underneath the grassed area beside the Auckland Town Hall.

The building, with 960 car parking spaces, will remain open while the strengthening is in place but about 130 spaces on the first level will be out of action for about two weeks.

“This is a temporary solution to ensure AK05 goes off without a hitch,” says Acting Director of Finance, Robert Nelson. “There are no other events on the horizon which will require this short-term fix and our focus is now on a long-term solution to ensure the future of Aotea Square as the city’s centre for events.”

Auckland City’s engineers reported just before Christmas that there was a need to reinforce the roof for extraordinary major events, to prevent any further structural damage to the car park beneath. As a result the council installed steel props for the First Night event on New Year’s Eve.

“Because of the unknown quantity of the expected crowds for the popular AK05 events this is purely a precautionary measure to protect our asset,” says Mr Nelson.

Auckland City has commissioned a report on possible options for the long-term future of the car park which will be considered by council’s Finance and Corporate Business Committee.

Options include: complete removal and reinstallation of the car park roof, water-proofing the existing roof, removing the topping and replacing it with a new concrete beam construction, and undertaking isolated repair work.

AK05 Chief Executive David Malacari supports Auckland City’s plan.

“Auckland City has pulled out all stops to support AK05 and we support them in their plan to ensure the events can be held in Aotea Square,” he says. “It’s great to know that there is a long-term plan for the Civic car park so that Aotea Square can continue to be a setting for first-class public events like the Auckland Festival.”

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