Te Rimutahi – History of Ponsonby’s new Civic Space

Te Rimutahi is the Māori name for the ridge that Ponsonby Road follows, which has always been an important transport route.  Translated as the Lone Rimu Tree, the name references a significant tree which stood at what is now the intersection of Ponsonby Road and Karangahape Road.

Te Rimutahi is the name gifted by Ngāti Whātua Ōrākei to the new civic space located at 254 Ponsonby Road.  This development is the result of 25 years of community advocacy, starting in 2000 with the Western Bays Community Board seeking to provide a “village square” for Ponsonby.  They were acting on the findings of Boffa Miskell’s Ponsonby Open Space Study that found “with increasing residential intensification … additional open space is required” for Ponsonby.   At first there was no suitable site, but when the Liquor King premises on the corner of O’Neil Street were offered for sale in 2006 the Community Board contributed $2.3 million from its Financial Contributions account towards the purchase of the site.  

However, the Community Board could not afford to develop the site, which continued to be leased out to Liquor King for the next 18 years.  In 2013 the new Waitematā Local Board first kicked off consultation on the options for the site as part of the draft Ponsonby Road Plan.  One of the options on the table was the sale of the rear portion of the site as was originally intended to fund the project.  But as this was met by strong community opposition and a split of views on the best way forward, the Local Board eventually decided to take a unique community-led development approach.  This got underway in 2015 with funding towards the establishment of the Community-Led Design (CLD) group.

The Community-Led Design Group received the Waitematā Local Board Good Citizens Award in 2017

The CLD process involved significant public consultation to determine the preferred design for the space.  The CLD group developed and refined a design brief that accurately reflected the community’s needs, wants and desires for the site.  The design brief was offered to professional landscape designers, architects and the general public to submit a design concept for the site.

From 12 designs submitted, the LandLAB Park+ concept for the civic open space was chosen by the community and endorsed by the Local Board in 2017.  It took another couple of years and a Long Term Plan consultation process for funding to be secured. 

In 2019, Council’s Environment and Community Committee unanimously supported retaining the whole site for a new civic space at 254 Ponsonby Road, with no prerequisite land sale.  And in August that year the Finance and Performance Committee approved the allocation of up to $5.5 million to the development of the Ponsonby Park project from the proceeds of a property that came into council hands from a generous bequest.  The design was finally funded and the project able to progress after the Waitematā Local Board voted unanimously in February 2020 to approve and endorse the business case for Ponsonby Park.  

Then covid struck soon after, severely affecting Council’s finances, and the project went through further delays and funding uncertainty.  The CLD

Te Rimutahi dawn blessing at the end of construction on 2 May 2025

group kept the project alive with monthly updates in Ponsonby News and tireless advocacy to the Local Board.  By July 2022 a project manager had been confirmed and 254 Ponsonby Road was on its way to being transformed into a stunning new public space called Te Rimutahi.

Actual construction began with a dawn blessing in June 2024.  The opening community celebration on 17 May 2025 brought together the many “parents” of the project who had seen it through the successful delivery – including former Community Board Chair and Councillor Graeme Easte, former Local Board Chair Shale Chambers and Deputy Chair Pippa Coom (who initiated the community-led development process) together with current Local Board members and the CLD group team including Chris Bailey, Boopsie Moran and Jennifer Ward.

Grey Lynn 2030’s Suzanne Kendrick organised the first activation with a social dancing event.  Te Rimutahi is already proving to be a popular gathering point and a valued community space. 

Features and Purpose of Te Rimutahi Civic Space

• The design includes an “Urban Canopy,” an all-weather, covered but open area suitable for markets, performances, and events.
• Universal access has been a key consideration in the design, including an accessible ramp from Ponsonby Road.
• Native plants beautify the site. Including the Te Rimutahi, a new Rimu tree
• A sophisticated, elegant lighting system has been installed for safety and aesthetics.
• An “interpretive panel” provides information about the site’s history, sustainability features, and the community-led design process, including QR codes for additional information accessible to people with sight and hearing impairments
• The Po, one of the significant artworks by Graham Tipene (Ngāti Whātua, Ngāti Kahu, Ngāti Hine, Ngāti Haua, Ngāti Manu)  standing on Ponsonby Road, brings  a Māori kaupapa to the space. Additional contributions from mana whenua enrich the site and information about these are accessible via QR codes on the information panel nearby Dizengoff Cafe.
• The space is designed to be a common ground where people can rest, relax, meet, and enjoy various activities, exhibitions, and markets, fostering community connection.
  

  Te Rimutahi social dancing event May 2025