/news/wellington/rss 九一星空无限 Keep up with the latest news from around the Wellington region with 九一星空无限talk ZB. Fri, 31 Jan 2025 07:55:02 Z en /news/wellington/wellington-s-reading-cinema-complex-purchased-by-primeproperty-group/ /news/wellington/wellington-s-reading-cinema-complex-purchased-by-primeproperty-group/ The Reading Cinema complex has sat empty on Wellington’s Courtenay Place since 2019. To try to incentivise development, the Wellington City Council concocted a controversial deal with Reading that failed in April last year. The site was put up for sale in July and after months of negotiations, a Wellington-based developer is the successful new owner. The derelict Reading Cinema complex on Wellington’s Courtenay Place has finally been sold, with a local developer snapping up the 1.5-hectare plot. The property was at the centre of a controversial deal between Wellington City Council and Reading International last year, after the council tried to buy the land under the quake-prone building to incentivise development. After that deal fell through, the site was listed for sale in July, with Wellington-based Primeproperty Group now the new owner. Company director Eyal Aharoni confirmed the sale to the Herald, but said he was unable to provide any further detail on his plans for the site “due to confidentiality agreements”. The Reading Cinema Complex in Wellington has sat empty since 2019. Photograph / Mark Mitchell The site, which includes the cinema complex and several adjacent sites was listed as an “unmissable opportunity for developers”, after the bid between Wellington City Council and parent company Reading International to revive the complex failed. The proposed deal was for the council to purchase the land underneath the cinema for $32 million, freeing up cash for the cinema to redevelop the building. Reading could buy back the land for the council’s original purchase price within the first 10 years, meaning the council would not make any capital gains. The secrecy surrounding the deal initially divided councillors. As more detail came to light, several councillors criticised the scheme as “corporate welfare”, while others saw it as an unorthodox tool to encourage development. Mayor Tory Whanau championed the proposal as a chance to revitalise Courtenay Place, which has become tired and run down in recent years. The deal was canned in April after Wellington City Council announced it had ended negotiations with Reading International because it was unable to reach the best possible outcome for Wellingtonians. At the time, Reading CEO Ellen Cotter said it would “take time to consider its options”. “We have been wanting to redevelop the site and were encouraged when the council agreed to assist by buying the land for $32m and leasing it back to us. This was not what Reading considered to be a full market price, but was part of a package which included a buyback right. The sale included the cinema complex and several adjacent sites, comprising 1.5 hectares of flat CBD land. Photo / JLL Todd Lachlan, director of commercial real estate agency JLL, declined to comment on the sale. The agency’s Wellington retail leasing director Jim Wana told 九一星空无限talkZB’s Nick Mills in November it was still working to get the project over the line, and a number of parties were engaged in negotiations. Wana said at the time that JLL had been speaking to potential tenants. Asked if a supermarket could go in the site, Wana said it was a “possibility”, as well as floating the idea of car parking and residential development. He suggested the current Reading building would be redeveloped and begin operating again, calling that the “preferred view” of those involved. Market sources told the Herald a number of developers were keen on the site, contributing to the long sale process. The Wellington Company, as well as a smaller Auckland developer and international parties, are understood to have been part of negotiations. It’s unknown what the sale price for the property was, but during negotiations Wellington City Council said the land under the building was recently valued at $31.9m. When the site was first listed for sale, Whanau said she was pleased something was finally happening with the land. “This is a great opportunity for someone passionate about Wellington to do something awesome with such a fantastic bit of real estate. “I urged Reading to continue to explore development deals. This site has great potential and if Reading is unable to do that, I am very pleased that they are opening up the opportunity for others to do so.” Aharoni, who featured on the NBR rich list at a net-worth of $550m, owns a number of prominent sites in the capital through Primeproperty, including a recent purchase of the abandoned Amora Hotel. Wellington businessman Eyal Aharoni has purchased the Reading Cinema site. Photo / Supplied Aharoni is a former Israeli army officer who came to New Zealand in 1988 to further a science career. He told 九一星空无限talkZB in March that he is one of the capital’s largest ratepayers. In 2017 he was investigated and taken to the tenancy tribunal by the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment after he admitted housing residential tenants in two empty Wellington office blocks. Reading has been approached for comment. Ethan Manera is a multimedia journalist based in Wellington. He joined 九一星空无限 in 2023 and is interested in local issues, politics and property in the capital. Ethan is always on the lookout for a story and can be emailed at ethan.manera@nzme.co.nz. Sat, 04 Jan 2025 02:25:37 Z /news/wellington/state-highway-2-remutaka-hill-in-wellington-reopened-after-serious-crash-police/ /news/wellington/state-highway-2-remutaka-hill-in-wellington-reopened-after-serious-crash-police/ Remutaka Hill is closed after a crash late this morning which injured two people, one seriously, policesay. State Highway 2 was blocked west of the Remutaka Hill summit following the crash, NZTA Wellington posted on X just before noon. UPDATE 12:05PMState Highway 2 is CLOSED over the Remutaka Hill, due to a crash west of Remutaka Hill summit. Closure points are in place at Kaitoke and Featherston gates. Delay travel across the hill at this time. Emergency services are on-site. https://t.co/H05EYhUwP2 pic.twitter.com/FEEAG594H0— NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi - Wellington (@nztawgtn) January 3, 2025 Emergency services were alerted to the two-vehicle crash on the highway north-west of Wellington at 11.30am, police said. “One person has been seriously injured, and a second person has received moderate injuries. “Motorists are advised to avoid the area and expect delays.” The road was reopened shortly before 3.30pm. NZTA said in a post: “Take extra when travelling across it today and expect delays as traffic returns to normal.” Fri, 03 Jan 2025 23:36:18 Z /news/wellington/wellington-zoo-mourns-death-of-capybara-luna/ /news/wellington/wellington-zoo-mourns-death-of-capybara-luna/ By RNZ Wellington Zoo is down to one capybara after the death of one of its huge — and hugely popular — rodents. In an email to customers, the zoo said its capybara, Luna, had been unwell for some time and despite the efforts of carers, had died. “The last few weeks the team have been doing all they could to care for her and help her get better but unfortunately, they were unsuccessful.” It said because of this, its up-close-and-personal “Capybara Encounter” would be cancelled for the month of January. The email provided alternative options for customers booked on the experience. According to its website, Wellington Zoo was home to two female capybaras. In addition to being the world’s largest rodent, the species is renowned for its swimming prowess because of its webbed feet. - RNZ Sun, 29 Dec 2024 22:56:51 Z /news/wellington/man-found-dead-in-water-off-breaker-bay-on-wellington-s-south-coast/ /news/wellington/man-found-dead-in-water-off-breaker-bay-on-wellington-s-south-coast/ Police are asking for the public’s help to identify a man found dead on Wellington’s south coast. A police spokesperson said they were alerted about 10.40am yesterday to the body of a man in the rockpools at Breaker Bay. The death is being treated as unexplained and inquiries are ongoing to identify the man and determine what occurred, police said. The man is described as European, aged approximately in his 60s, and of average height and build, clean-shaven, with short grey-white hair. “He was wearing blue jeans, black socks, brown walking shoes, a blue t-shirt under a black long-sleeve button-up shirt, and had a grey Kathmandu light jacket with green trim,” a spokesperson said. “If you have any information that may assist Police in identifying this man, or what happened to him, please contact Police by updating us online now or call 105. “Please use the reference number 241227/7181.” Meanwhile, a woman’s body was found in the water around 6.45am today near the Foxton boat ramp. “The woman has been identified and work is ongoing to ascertain the circumstances of her death and notify next of kin,” a police spokesperson said. Fri, 27 Dec 2024 22:27:10 Z /news/wellington/wellington-council-earns-10-000-on-first-day-of-new-bus-lane-cameras/ /news/wellington/wellington-council-earns-10-000-on-first-day-of-new-bus-lane-cameras/ Wellington Council netted nearly $10,000 on the first day of two new fixed bus lane cameras going live in Newtown. The new fixed cameras went live on Riddiford St and Adelaide Rd northbound on Monday, with anyone caught using the bus lane getting an immediate $150 fine. On day one, 55 infringements were issued on Riddiford St and 11 on Adelaide Rd - a total of 66 infringements. A camera also went live at the same time on Chaytor St South in Karori, but no fines were issued there. Wellington City Council has launched a number of bus lane cameras across the city this year, including a southbound camera on Adelaide Rd back in June. The council has also had “tripod” crews monitoring some of the bus lanes ahead of the cameras being turned on What to know about bus lanes to avoid getting a ticket All bus lanes are clearly marked with signs and green on-road markings. Always check signs for bus lane operating hours and whether it’s a regular bus lane or a bus-only lane. Bus lanes can be used by bikes, mopeds, motorbikes, and in-service taxis. Other vehicles can use a bus lane briefly (up to 50 metres) to turn left into another street or driveway. Bus-only lanes can only be used by buses. (An exception is emergency service vehicles, which may use both types of bus lanes when responding to an emergency.) It is illegal to park in a bus or cycle lane. Thu, 12 Dec 2024 00:25:01 Z /news/wellington/wellington-bakery-myrtle-announces-closure-a-week-after-winning-top-award/ /news/wellington/wellington-bakery-myrtle-announces-closure-a-week-after-winning-top-award/ Wellington bakery Myrtle will close before Christmas, with its last day of trade on December 21. Owners Sarah Bullock and Jacob Brown say they’ve made the decision with a “heavy heart” as their “cherished site” is set to be turned into apartments. Myrtle won Outstanding Bakery at the Welly Hospo Awards, held on Monday last week. Popular Wellington bakery Myrtle has announced it will be closing down before Christmas, one week after being crowned the capital’s best bakery. Operating at the foot of Mt Victoria on Kent Tce since 2021, the small-batch bakery has become popular for its handmade bread and baked goods. In a statement on social media, owners Jacob Brown and Sarah Bullock announced the venue will close just before Christmas, with its last day of trade being December 21. Myrtle on Kent Tce will close before Christmas. Photo / Google reviews. The couple said they’ve made the decision because their “cherished site” is no longer available to them. “Over time, we’ve come to realise just how deeply intertwined our identity is with the place and community that surrounds us [...] we feel it is impossible to simply relocate and remain true to who we are”, the post said. Customers have been sharing their disappointment at the news, with comments on the post including “This one stings” and “Everything you make is superb! This is such a loss”. But the pair, who also own and operate The Larder restaurant in Miramar, say it’s not necessarily the end of the bakery. “Having some downtime will undoubtedly inspire new ideas and who knows where that might lead.” It’s been a tough year for Wellington’s hospitality industry with a number of eateries closing, including Concord restaurant, Egmont Street Eatery, and bakeries like Pandoro and Bordeaux. Last week it was confirmed Alamir Bakery, which has been producing Lebanese food for 32 years out of Wellington, had been placed in liquidation. In a further blow, the awards celebrating industry success - the Felix Wellington Hospitality Awards - were cancelled for 2024 with organisers blaming the challenging year. Disappointed, a group of operators fundraised to hold their own celebration - the Welly Hospo Awards - with the winners announced at an event last Monday night. Myrtle won Outstanding Bakery at the awards, beating five of the capital’s other top operators. The small-batch bakery’s become popular for its handmade breads and baked goods. Photo / Google reviews. When contacted by the Herald, Sarah and Jacob declined an interview, but said they were “honoured and humbled to have been awarded Best Bakery”. They said their site is going to be developed into apartments. “We were always aware that this was going to be a possibility, and it was a risk we decided to take,” the pair said in an email. Ethan Manera is a multimedia journalist based in Wellington. He joined 九一星空无限 in 2023 and is interested in local issues, politics and property in the capital. Ethan is always on the lookout for a story and can be emailed at ethan.manera@nzme.co.nz. Sun, 08 Dec 2024 22:21:10 Z