Jaded Auckland visitor attraction Victoria Park Market is to receive a $70 million facelift, with the developers promising it will bring higher quality goods and services. They will rename it Victoria Park Village to reflect a new status and the first stage of the heritage site's revamp, approved by the city council this week, includes demolition of the stark 1980s steel additions that shelter some of the stalls. Visitors say loss of stalls to make more room for sellers of fashion, food and drink will erode Victoria Park's market flavour.
Competition in the form of outdoor markets has sprung up in suburbs throughout Auckland since Victoria Park Market was created from the derelict city rubbish destructor and depot in 1984. In its heyday the market attracted thousands of shoppers in the days before widespread weekend shopping. A celebrity walk of fame was opened in 1984 and the famous - including Sir Edmund Hillary, Dame Kiri Te Kanawa, Billy T James, Sir Robert Muldoon, John Walker, Rachel Hunter - and infamous - Donna Awatere Huata - have been honoured by placing their hand prints or footprints, or both, in cement.
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/category/story.cfm?c_id=24&ObjectID=10361038
No comments:
Post a Comment