AHEAD of Thursday’s community forum on the future of the CBD, the Western Research Institute has already begun looking into costs and benefits.
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Concept plans will be presented to the OC Future City forum at the Orange City Council chamber from 6pm to 8pm.
They followed suggestions from the public during the Where to Next? consultation earlier this year, including improving the CBD in wet weather and at night, better lighting, decorative festival lighting, better technology integration, more parking, more retail options and better bus stops and toilets.
Other suggestions included turning the Woolworths car park into a Euro-style town square and integrating Robertson Park with the civic centre, featuring a shared pedestrian traffic space on McNamara Street.
Mayor Reg Kidd said an attractive, efficient town centre would draw a wider range of retailers to open stores, while deputy mayor Joanne McRae said the bar needed to be set high.
“It has to be more than a few new planter boxes and free WiFi,” she said.
“It’s a multi-layered approach to deliver the sheer scale of transformation that’s needed. We have to look at factors like urban design, transport, retail, technology, community spaces, parking and pedestrian access.”
Register for the forum by clicking here.
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