to 64 - Palmerston North City Council

Arena ManawatuThe connection and access between Arena Manawatu and therest of the city centre has an important role in delivering a‘playful’ city centre.50DRAFT CCF FOR PALMERSTON NORTH [ kd7 play in the city ]Arena Manawatu is a unique facility in New Zealand due to itssize, location and combination of facilities. It has the ability tofacilitate and provide for a number of different play experiences,whether these are regular formal recreation related activities orone off events.Railway LandThe area of land known as the Railway Land currently functionsas a large flexible area of open space in close proximity to therest of the city centre. The open space generally consists oflarge areas of grass, mature trees, a skate park facility and hascar parking provision on three of its edges.The railway land currently accommodates events such ascircuses, gypsy fairs, and car club meets. Skate boarding,BMXing and other youth focussed activities make the skatepark one of the city’s most used public spaces.There are three key areas to focus on for the Railway Land:1. Retain the flexibility of the open space to allow for largepublic events to happen within the centre outside ofThe Square.2. Ensure that the mature vegetation is retained andenhanced to provide shade, character and connectionwith nature within the city centre.3. Celebrate the heritage of the railway land, such asexploring the potential to reveal the old railway turntablesand integrate this or other artefacts and representativefeatures into the expansion of the skate park facility.