ActivateOrange strategy to develop CBD underway

The Orange City Council-appointed urban designers tasked with attracting people to Summer Street plan to nurture the tourism industry to ensure restaurants and shop owners get bang for their buck in the future.

The team, that includes designers and landscape architects, as well as economic development, engineering and heritage experts, could present its plan to the public for feedback as early as September.

Project director from SJB Architect Jonathan Knapp said while landlords are responsible for controlling retail rent the urban design group has considered ways to make city centre businesses more viable.

According to Mr Knapp rents in Orange at the lower end are similar to Bathurst and Dubbo, but at the higher end surpass the two.

Mr Knapp said developing the landscape to make the city centre friendlier to foot traffic, ensuring car parks are in convenient locations and opening centralised accommodation such as Quest Apartment Hotels, will go a long way to helping the CBD prosper.

"Orange has a strong economic base and strong growth potential through tourism and the plan is to build on that in a considered way," Mr Knapp said.

He said if visitors have somewhere to stay close to shops, cafes and restaurants, they are more likely to park the car for the weekend and spend time, as well as dollars.

The money spent on weekends would help get businesses through those quieter weekdays.

Mr Knapp said the declining prosperity of the main street is not a problem that is unique to Orange, as shoppers around the world turn to the internet to purchase goods.

He said the job for the team was to consider how upcoming developments, including the move of the hospital and the new DPI building, could best be capitalised.