This area has a play area with a slide in the form of a lighthouse, and swings. Has tiered amphitheatre-style seating area for picnics and small outdoor events, and hosts the following artworks:

• • Albatross sculpture (Tanya Ashken)
  • Fruits of the Garden sculpture (Paul Dibble)
  • Water Whirler sculpture (Len Lye)
  • Sundial (Charles Stone)

Accessibility: The park is flat.

Dogs: Dogs must be kept on a leash, except for the children’s play area where they are not allowed at all.

History:  Completed in the late 1980s, Frank Kitts Park was one of the first areas of the waterfront to be developed. 

The design of the park was heavily influenced by the annual street car race that ran through the area at that time. The seaside promenade was the start grid for the race and is the reason why the promenade is flanked by a high wall on its city side – to ensure spectator safety.

The park was named after the city’s mayor Sir Francis Joseph Kitts.

Frank Kitts Park playground

A new playground planned for Frank Kitts Park was put on hold in 2019 after construction tenders exceeded the projects $2 million budget. Councillors recently voted to proceed with the project to replace the playground.

Some of the playground equipment is nearing the end of its usable life.  The Council is reviewing the playground project to ensure it can be built within an acceptable budget while still allowing for any future development of Frank Kitts Park.

A new timeline for the playground construction project is yet to be confirmed, however construction work is expected to get underway in the 2021/22 financial year.

Wellington Underground Market and Frank Kitts Car Park

A Detailed Seismic Assessment has identified that the building is earthquake-prone.

The assessment by Holmes Consulting was done as part of the Council’s review into the resilience of its buildings. It identified two significant structural weaknesses in the car park’s roof and issues with the seismic performance of the reclaimed ground under the car park. 

The car park building is listed as quake-prone, and the Council is required to remedy the situation by 2034. 

The Underground Market was unable to keep operating in the car park after March 14 2020 because it attracts large numbers of shoppers and stallholders.

In July 2021, the contract with Wilson Parking ceased and the car park closed. Council officers are now considering options for the car park building. Options will take into consideration the short and long term plans for the park.

Frank Kitts Park and the retailers operating in small shops on the Whairepo Lagoon and harbour frontages of the car park building remain open.

A report on options and issues relating to redeveloping Frank Kitts Park, including the car park will be prepared for the Mayor and Councillors.