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It’s that time of the year again – decorations are going up in the city centre for the festive season. The installation of the big Santa on the corner of Queen Street and Victoria Street West begins next week, thanks to the generosity of...

New pictures have come out of City Rail Link HQ showing what the new public square at the bottom of Queen Street will look like when it opens in a few years' time. If you look closely, you’ll see the designs tell stories about Mana Whenua and...

Construction for the City Rail Link (CRL) enters its next major stage in March. This means some significant changes for access around this area of the city, which you can find out about below, and work to keep the city moving over this...

The Victoria Street Cycleway will be a separated cycleway along each side of Victoria Street West, from Beaumont Street to Nelson Street, connecting Ponsonby to the city centre. The area will also be made safer for people walking.  Auckland...

"The latest announcement from Government about support for business misses the mark on one of the biggest issues that have been raised with us during the lock down. It is not what we were expecting and it will likely have a detrimental effect on Auckland...

From barista coffee to curries, Korean fried chicken to fresh patisserie, vegan burgers to lavish heat and eat banquets, the heart of the city’s diverse food offering is back next week for customers hanging out for anything other than another home cooked...

Today we released an economic report and media statement outlining the risks to the city centre economy from COVID-19. It shows that more than 12,000 jobs and $3B of GDP could be lost by March 2021. The reason we have released...

Early figures show that Auckland city centre sales doubled in the first week of Level 3 but still account for only a small percentage of a standard trading week, which at this time of year would typically see spending of about $27m. Heart of the City...

To thrive in this rapidly changing business environment it is important to share experiences and creatively problem solve with others. To help you do this, Auckland Emergency Management (the agency tasked with helping Aucklanders be prepared in times of...

During Alert Level 2 we are still required to play it safe and this means keeping a recommended distance of 2m in public. Some changes have been made to create a safe city centre environment. Here's what you need to know:  Queen Street Queen...

Heart of the City is offering $500 prizes for tiny pieces of writing - 20 words or fewer - by local creatives. Art, performance, culture and creative expression make our city centre’s heart beat faster. We want to bring words from our creative community...

Changing Lanes is a collaborative project funded by Heart of the City and facilitated by Artweek Auckland. A number of Auckland city centre spaces will be transformed by artist activations during Artweek Auckland 2020. The project aims to help create...

The city centre is primed to show Aucklanders a good time this Queens Birthday long weekend as they make the most of the last public holiday until spring. After over two months without live concerts or stand-up comedy, Auckland venues are reopening with...

Street Guardians is back up and running, in partnership with the Auckland City Mission, providing a weekly opportunity for members of the city centre street community to get involved in meaningful work at local community organisations, building ...

Just before lockdown, we visited High Street to check out the new footpath extensions and talk to people from local businesses about why they love their neighbourhood. See what Chloe Blades from Unity Books, Tommy Tung from Alchemy Projects and Beau...

We're encouraging Aucklanders to rediscover all of the reasons to visit the city with a video campaign running across Facebook, Instagram, TVNZ, YouTube, nzherald.co.nz and more.  The city centre experiences profiled by the campaign include...

Introduction Heart of the City is the business association for Auckland’s city centre. We represent the interests of businesses and property owners in the city centre. Key points of our submission This is a time for effective economic stimulus, not...

As part of the wider Albert Street enhancement, a new footpath and roadway is being constructed at the Customs and Albert Street intersection. To enable this, diversions for pedestrians will be in place and traffic are now reduced to one lane...

Restaurant Month 2020 in the Heart of the City is set to satisfy more taste buds than ever before, with the annual showcase of Auckland city centre’s world-class dining scene re-thought, re-formatted and re-launched for its 10th anniversary. With more...

All opening in a 6 week period from mid-September to early November, all within a block of the Waitematā Harbour, and all welcoming locals and domestic tourists - we talk to Park Hyatt Auckland, The Hotel Britomart and QT Auckland about what they’re...

An official name and the first concrete pour for our new public space suspended above the harbour and the start of wall construction for Aotea Station are milestones well worth acknowledging. We're on track to enjoy some great new...

If you've walked around the city centre lately, you've probably spotted the vivid neon lighting we've added to trees in Vulcan Lane, Lorne Street, Freyberg Place and Aotea Square to brighten up the grey winter days. This is one of a number of...

The outlook for spring is for a packed calendar of events in the city centre. This is great news for a number of reasons - events bring visitors, spending, excitement and buzz, among other benefits. People who attend events engage with the surrounding...

Introduction Heart of the City (HOTC) is the business association for the city centre, which includes more than 4000 commercially rated properties and 12,000 businesses. We are committed to the growth and success of the city centre as a vibrant,...

If your business is an essential service or in retail or hospitality and planning on trading in some capacity (including click and collect or delivery) during Level 3, please let us know if you are able to. This will help us in our planning for...

If you or someone you know needs support, you can call or text the free Ministry of Health line 1737 for support from a trained counsellor.  Click here for more information. 

Many businesses will be considering their options for how to manage online orders and delivery at the moment. There are a variety of systems aiming to make this easier for businesses - including those listed below* Hospitality Buy@Home...

Heart of the City supports the two weeks extension to the wage subsidy but says it’s simply not enough. More support is needed, including to cover fixed costs, with many customers not being here with the mass withdrawal of more than 130,000 workers...

With many businesses at breaking point, no stone can be left unturned to ensure that eliminating the covid-19 virus does not translate into eliminating our country’s source of revenue and jobs.  With a critical decision due today, Heart of the City...

Heart of the City has announced an extension to Auckland Restaurant Month 2020 in a move designed to support the city centre’s hospitality industry after the latest COVID-19 restrictions.  The 10th annual showcase of Auckland city centre’s world-...

During the month of Mahuru (September) Māori, Tāmaki Makaurau hapū Ngāti Whātua Ōrakei, in association with Heart of the City, are hosting a month-long series of Reo for Business webinars. Every Wednesday from 12 – 12.45pm beginning 9 September, the...

Staying at Level 2.5 for at least another 10 days, represents a loss of around $1m of spending per day and crippling news as some businesses face an uncertain future and the hard-won vibrancy of the city centre is further challenged.  With the...

Letter from Auckland Council to BID (Business Associations) Auckland Council recognises the challenges facing Auckland’s retail and hospitality sector due to the resurgence of COVID-19 and we want to support them while our region remains in a restricted...

Two live business webinars will give Auckland’s small business owners an opportunity to learn how to build resilience within their businesses during disruptive events like COVID-19. Organised by Auckland Emergency Management, the business resilience...

Op-Ed published in the New Zealand Herald on 8 October 2020 On your marks, get set, go. Spring is in the air as Auckland heads back into alert level one. A time of optimism and renewal. A time to show Aucklanders and Kiwis from around the country...