Following extensive community engagement, in June 2022 the Council committed to developing the civic precinct that will see our city’s heart transformed into a vibrant community space over the coming years, breathing new life into what will become a key cultural, heritage and economic driver for the region.
To be called Te Manawataki o Te Papa, the heartbeat of Te Papa, it will feature a library and community hub, civic whare (public meeting house), museum, and an exhibition gallery. The programme of work also includes upgrades to Baycourt and Tauranga Art Gallery, along with the landscaping of public spaces in the area.
Far reaching benefits
In July 2023, the Te Manawataki o Te Papa business case was presented to Council which paints a picture of a thriving, beating and vibrant city heart that celebrates our heritage and culture, and brings people together from near and far.
It shows the benefits Te Manawataki o Te Papa will bring are widespread, reaching out to the region and providing a site that captures and reflects Tauranga’s unique cultural heritage.
As early as 2035, our new civic precinct could see triple the number of people visiting our city centre, with visits to the new civic precinct averaging 5,500 people a day.
Economists have predicted that over the lifetime of the development, the civic precinct will significantly contribute to city centre GDP and deliver wider economic benefits, generating up to more than $1 billion in estimated quantified benefits over the next 60 years.
The creation of Te Manawataki o Te Papa could also see thousands more people moving into homes built in and around the city centre, and hundreds more businesses opened in the central and inner area of the city.
For more details on the benefits of Te Manawataki o Te Papa, read the Business Case.
Te Manawataki o Te Papa Business Case - 25 July 2023 (5.34mb pdf)