Bridge to Better – a view from the street

Michael Walker and Naiane Denardin have been running the Bridge Street Backpackers since 2017. After years of travelling and working in some of the world's best hotels and restaurants, the Kiwi/Brazilian couple came to Nelson with the ambition to create the best backpackers in New Zealand.

As business operators and leaseholders, they’re pleased to see the proposed investment in infrastructure and amenities for Bridge Street.

“If it's planned properly, I can only see the positives of providing a more attractive and functional conduit for both locals and visitors to access the businesses and attractions that the street connects,” says Michael.

During their travels, Paris and Copenhagen impressed them, with streets set-up to encourage walking and biking.

“We really enjoyed our time in Copenhagen. It was very bike-friendly to get from place to place and also incorporated some great pedestrian-only precincts. I think Nelson is on its way towards something similar but it does require us to think about how we accommodate shared spaces in our city, and the transport we use.”

Michael and Naiane see some disruption as inevitable once the Bridge to Better project gets underway.

“I anticipate disruption, but I am optimistic that if proper consultation is done, many of the obvious, and even some of the less obvious inconveniences, can be addressed in a timely manner. I’m hopeful that the end result will be an asset to the community and benefit everyone,” says Michael.

Matthew Kidson, whose family has owned the Bridge Street Backpackers building for over 30 years, agrees that Bridge Street needs some love.

“A lot of people are worried about the city. They see the empty buildings and the lack of investment. So, we're really keen to get this one going and see some benefits. We’re happy to take some short-term pain for some long-term gain.”

Matthew says that many people look to Melbourne as an attractive city with vigour, but you don’t need to go overseas to see examples of revitalised cities and towns.

“Blenheim has done some beautiful work around the riverfront and the Civic Centre. When I visit New Plymouth, I have it pointed out to me how much more go-ahead it is there, with the Len Lye Centre, the cycleway around the waterfront, Puke Ariki, and their various festivals. I know Taupo and Tauranga both have ambitious plans too. We're going to get left behind if we just do nothing. So, there's a real need to reinvest and show the city some love. Do it right, and let the world know that we're open for business.”

Matthew says business and property owners will want to understand how the project is staged and be assured that all necessary work will be incorporated. 

“I'd be interested in knowing more about micro-programming around trying to minimize disruption for the various business operators on the street. However, we're realistic that there will be some disruption. If you go anywhere that's thriving, there's construction everywhere and there is disruption. So, you can't have it both ways. You're either just sitting on a city of slow demise or you're taking some leaps forward.

“We need a vibrant inner city, not just for the tourists, but for the smart young people that come and work at places like the Cawthron. We need them messaging their friends saying, ‘Hey, I'm in Nelson, and there's a great scene here, I’m at a cool bar.’ We need more than just great weather and beautiful environment to attract and keep people,” says Matthew.

For Matthew, Nelson’s arts and cultural scene gives it an edge and needs to be included in the Bridge to Better plans. 

“The times through winter when things have been really lively in town — almost like being back in North America or Europe in terms of the number of people walking through town — are when the likes of Te Ramaroa and the Four Lanes Festival are on. It shows you that when you encourage cultural events in the city, people will come and transform the city centre. So, when we are doing these landscape and infrastructure upgrade projects we need to look at all the ways we can enhance the city.”

Matthew is pleased that one aspect of the Bridge to Better project is infrastructure that will provide capacity for hundreds of city centre homes. 

“There’s not enough accommodation in the region as it is – and that’s before we bring all the workers required for the hospital construction project. Developers definitely want to understand what they can do in terms of converting first floor levels into apartments. Encouraging more housing in town means the inner city could be much more vibrant.”

Matthew says that inner city business owners like Michael and Naiane are the heroes of our economy. 

“They did it tough through the Covid years, but they kept delivering. They bring people into town, provide somewhere to stay and offer a good experience. So anything we can do to support them keeps everything humming."