CityHeart project enters final phase

Work to remove the Garden Place Peace Wall has started, marking the final phase of Hamilton City Council’s CityHeart project.

Contractors last week erected a fence around the Peace Wall, which will be demolished in coming weeks as Worley Place and Alexandra Street are connected.

CityHeart Programme Manager Jason Harrison said the two-metre high perimeter fence would remain in place for at least three months while demolition work on the Peace Wall – above the old entry/exit for the Civic Square underground car park – was completed.

“Demolition of the Peace Wall will expose the old entry/exit cavity, which is about four metres deep, and we’ve had that fence installed to ensure the site is isolated and safe,” Mr Harrison says.

Contractors have already begun removing paving stones around the old Peace Wall in preparation for the demolition, which began today. On January 16, a 20-tonne digger equipped with a special concrete-crushing claw will be brought on-site to “eat” through tonnes of concrete which will be removed and recycled. The Peace Wall’s handmade tiles have already been removed and are in storage pending re-use.

Mr Harrison says the demolition process is expected to take about five weeks. The cavity will then be filled to ground level, when the two-metre perimeter fence will be replaced with a smaller barrier. Members of the public in Garden Place and Civic Square will then be able to see the shared space taking shape.

Mr Harrison says the Garden Place redevelopment should be completed in May-June. Over the past three years CityHeart has included an extensive revitalisation of Garden Place as well as work on Bryce Street, Victoria Street and Ward Street. The project has been driven by a need to improve connectivity and cohesiveness in the central city and its further development.