• The landmark Band Rotunda in Wellington’s Oriental Bay has been sitting empty for more than a decade.
• Previous plans to strengthen and restore the heritage-listed and quake-prone building fell through.
• A new developer is set to take over the project, with plans to open a spa, restaurant and bar in 2027.

Restoration is on the horizon for the historic Band Rotunda in Wellington‘s Oriental Bay.

Wellington City Council has chosen Watson Group Limited to “revitalise” the iconic site, after more than a decade of sitting empty and a previous failed restoration attempt.

Plans for the property include restoring it into a bathhouse and day spa on the bottom floor with a restaurant and bar on the top, and public access to the rooftop.

The iconic building is set to be restored into a spa and restaurant, with a public lookout on top. Photo / Wellington City Council.

A council spokeswoman said “officers have been approved to negotiate a development agreement”, following a council meeting today.

Watson Group approached the council with its vision for the building after previous plans fell through earlier this year.

The Wellington-based developer is behind several residential housing developments in the capital.

Earthquake strengthening work is set to start in the new year, with the project scheduled to be completed in 2027.

Architectural mock-ups show the proposed restaurant and bar looking over the Wellington harbour. Photo / Wellington City Council.

The 2027 opening will coincide with the 90th anniversary of the original bathing pavilion opening, the spokeswoman said.

The building, which is both earthquake-prone and heritage-listed, has been closed since 2012 and requires considerable strengthening and restoration work to bring it up to standard.

The Band Rotunda is earthquake-prone and heritage-listed and has sat empty since 2012. Photo / Heritage New Zealand

Wellington City Council owns the building and in 2019 chose developer Cheops Holdings, sister company to McKee Fehl Construction, to revive the site.

Work later began to restore the building into a premier hospitality venue, with an expectation it would be completed by the end of 2021. Progress stalled, however, with Cheops unable to find a suitable tenant to move in.

The Herald revealed in September that the project had been mothballed, with Cheops developer Maurice Clarke walking away from the development. The council described it as a “mutual decision” to terminate the development agreement and lease.

At the time it said it was in discussions with other developers on the future of the site.

The Band Rotunda has been a Wellington waterfront landmark since its original construction in 1937.

In 2019 the council said the concrete slab between the upper and lower levels of the building had deteriorated and become unsafe, with the foundations also affected by the sea.

It was originally constructed as a bathing pavilion with the second level added in 1985 to create a restaurant. The lower level, which was previously a changing room, was turned into a community and meeting space.

The council won’t reveal the cost of the project, citing commercial sensitivity.

Ethan Manera is a multimedia journalist based in Wellington. He joined NZME in 2023 and is interested in local issues, politics and property in the capital. Ethan is always on the lookout for a story and can be emailed at [email protected].