50 new trees, 115 new car parks in $46m Lincoln town centre revamp

Press Reporter

Lincoln Town Centre gets major $46 million upgrade

The Lincoln Town Centre will change dramatically in the coming months. But not everyone is happy about the $46 million upgrade.

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1:39

Lincoln town centre gets major $46 million upgrade

VIDEO CREDIT: Kai Schwoerer

Fifty new trees will be planted as part of a major redevelopment of Lincoln town centre that will see changes to parking spaces, the lowering of speed limits and new cycleways and traffic lights installed.

Five existing trees will be removed to accommodate the new design of the town centre and due to their impact on underground infrastructure.

Upgrades to Lincoln have been almost a decade in the making after Selwyn District Council created an original plan to revamp the town in 2016.

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Lincoln town centre is to have a major revamp; above is an artist's impression of the William Street intersection looking north-east after the first stage of the redevelopment.Selwyn District Council / Supplied

Work, which will also see car parks removed to allow for the creation of a plaza, is set to begin later this year at a cost of $46 million - more than three and a half times the original price estimate of $13.6m.

Stage one of the revamp will see the creation by July of 115 new car parks - 68 in the northern car park and 47 in the southern - a slow speed zone that will be safer for traffic, pedestrians and cyclists, the installation of cycle lanes and pedestrian crossings, and a new public space on Gerald St that is more pedestrian-friendly.

Some business owners have previously said they fear their livelihoods will be threatened by the changes to parking, and that they might not be there if the plan comes to fruition.

The council said the new trees would increase the town’s tree canopy and create a vibrant green space in the main street, as well as promoting biodiversity and birdlife and adding seasonal interest and colour.

A variety of tree species and sizes will be planted, including some more mature trees to help provide a more established feel at the end of the project.

Some business owners are worried about the loss of parking at the front of their shops.KAI SCHWOERER / The Press

The trees to be removed are three London planes at the Gerald/Robert/William intersection and a London plane and Norway maple at the Gerald Street and Lyttelton Street intersection.

The trees will be removed once a contractor is on board for stage one of the upgrade work, which will start over the coming summer, with a tendering process for the contract to begin shortly.

Tim Mason, the council’s executive director of infrastructure and property, said although five trees were being removed, seven others that conflicted with the design had been saved by modifying the plans.

An aerial view of what Lincoln town centre is expected to look like at the end of stage one of the redevelopment.Selwyn District Council / Supplied

“We understand how important it is to protect existing trees where we can, and we’re looking forward to seeing the new trees take shape in Lincoln.”