Tauranga City Council is in the process of changing its Strand redevelopment plans – creating issues for the bureaucracy.

At a workshop meeting on Wednesday, councillors discussed whether they were going to continue with the current resource consent application for the $20 million waterfront park redevelopment plan, or make a new application for a Priority One style proposal that includes commercial kiosks and markets.

A Prioirty One concept drawing for The Strand redevelopment.

They decided to continue with the current application and then change details to suit the direction they now want the development to go in.

Either way, the council is no longer looking at spending $20 million on The Strand reclamation.

The Priority One vision is to liven up the waterfront by granting private leases to commercial operators.

The longer term plan is to have commercial market style developments at either end of the reclamation, separated by a central green space.

An aerial view of the Priority One concept.

Priority One city centre manager Duarne Lankshear says the intention is to attract people across the tracks onto the reclamation, and give them reasons to stay once they get there.

Allowing commercial developments on the reclamation will require a resource consent and any earthworks on The Strand will require a resource consent.

Councillors are keen to get things moving in the Priority One direction, but are leery of choosing a path that might add to the $150,000 spent so far on the current application.

'There's no doubt about what we want, it's how we get there,” says Councillor Terry Molloy.

Priority One's plan is to attract investment into the public space, similar to the way Auckland's viaduct harbour redevelopment has attracted people and commerce.

Duarne says by collaborating with the private sector, Tauranga can produce a world-class, self-sustaining waterfront at minimal cost to the ratepayer that will also provide long term revenue streams to Tauranga City Council.

He says international, and experience throughout New Zealand, shows the waterfront areas that are successful in attracting people are the active ones that include private sector activities and hospitality with open space.

By using the existing infrastructure, buildings and land means the development of the waterfront can begin in the very near future.