A planned 'people-friendly' upgrade to a popular Christchurch street was put on ice this week.
The $1.4 million project was going to make a 240-metre stretch of road one-way, with a 10km/h speed limit.
The issue has not only divided the city's leaders but the public too.
Gloucester Street may have looked a little damp and miserable on Sunday but give it 18 months, and it'll be a bustling part of Christchurch City.
"Thousands of people will use this space," said Christchurch City Councillor Jake McLellan. "Music, live events, this is going to be the cultural epicentre of Christchurch."
The city's convention centre, central library, Isaac Theatre Royal, and soon-to-be-built Court Theatre will all live on the street.
To make it easier for residents and tourists to walk around these entertainment centres, a 10km/h speed limit was agreed to earlier this week. However after backlash from the public and the National Party, the council has done a U-turn and left it at 30km/h.
Councillor Sam MacDonald is relieved.
"We need to ask the people of Christchurch - do they want a CBD where you can't travel around - or do we want one where people can move freely," he said.
"I think, and certainly the people I represent, still want to use their cars."
The planned makeover would have forced traffic one-way and reduced speeds from 30km/h to 10km/h. The price tag was $1.4 million.
"Everything is expensive, whatever you want to do, it's up there isn't it," one person said.
Ninety percent of the funding was coming from Waka Kotahi's 'Streets for People' programme.
There's concern that if work isn't approved by May then the central government's contribution will be lost.
"That's the point of this work - get on, do it, trial, be flexible and change the project as it goes," McLellan said.
Councillors will vote in the near future on whether to give the project the green light - or cut it completely. There's hope next time around the process won't be as rushed.
"People were told on the Tuesday, we were sending contractors in on the Monday, that doesn't build trust and confidence in council," MacDonald said.
A decision looms - while Gloucester Street waits to get back on track.
