[COM] Victoria Square Upgrade - $24m

[PeFe]

Adelaide City Council reveals masterplan for $95 million Victoria Square redevelopment


ADELAIDE City Council has unveiled its final detailed masterplan for a $95 million overhaul of Victoria Square.
The grand vision includes strolling promenades under leafy arbours, re-aligning roads to return traffic lanes to an actual square, an outdoor events lawn, an oasis of sustainable gardens and wetlands, outdoor cafes and a cultural and function centre.

While a first stage of works worth $20 million is achieveable by 2014, the timeframe for the balance of the project is still dependent on securing government grants or commerical sponsorship.

Lord Mayor Stephen Yarwood has stressed the council's commitment to overhauling the city's heart, saying it is now "a matter of when, not if".

Subject to budget approval, the council will spend $20 million on the first stage, with work set to be under way by January next year and ready by the 2014 Tour Down Under.

Key changes to Victoria Square in the first stage include:

RELOCATING the Three Rivers Fountain to the square's southern end and moving the Queen Victoria and Charles Cameron Kingston statues;

PAVING the east-west road surface linking Grote and Wakefield streets, creating a plaza feel that could be closed for major events;

AN OUTDOOR event lawn at the northern end, able to take 8000 people with a plaza and stage area;

AN URBAN lounge, with seating terraces, benches, footrests and shading;

AN INTERACTIVE water play area;

CLOSING side lanes to traffic and creating mini plazas for outdoor dining and cafes.

Mr Yarwood said the first stage was aimed at "creating spaces to draw people back into Victoria Square".

Next year's draft council budget, which includes $11.5 million towards the first stage (with the balance in 2013-14) has been made public for consultation; it will be voted on by councillors on June 29.

Mr Yarwood urged city workers, shoppers and residents to visit the council's Picture Adelaide website to show their support for Stage 1 to ensure it made the final budget.

"We have never been so close to getting the ball rolling - this is the now or never," he said.

"This is Stage 1, it isn't a cop out, it's not an end point, it's the first stage of an evolution of the square that directly meets the masterplan that has been endorsed by the council and the community."

http://www.adelaidenow.com.au/news/sout ... 6347668984

[Matt]

New flythrough and PDFs at:
http://www.adelaidecitycouncil.com/deve ... danyangga/

Masterplan: http://www.adelaidecitycouncil.com/comm ... n_2012.pdf

Stage 1: http://www.adelaidecitycouncil.com/comm ... s_plan.pdf

[dj_fishy]

While the designs are commendable for being a vast improvement on the current square - I can't help but question whether this proposal lends itself to reinvigorating the area on a daily basis? It feels like there needs to be something to pull workers into the square from the surrounding office areas (particularly City Central) to breathe new life into the square.

[cruel_world00]

I find it hard to support a real redevelopment of the area when the centre of the square is still going to be used as a major thoroughfare during non-event times.

Maybe the point of this redevelopment is to slowly move towards closing this road permanently?

[ml69]

I find it hard to support a real redevelopment of the area when the centre of the square is still going to be used as a major thoroughfare during non-event times.

Maybe the point of this redevelopment is to slowly move towards closing this road permanently?

In the original masterplan released a couple of years ago, this was flagged as a definite future option (probably dependent on community and business reaction).

[HeapsGood]

Like the north end, but the south end gardens and cultural centre....yawn....ugly and a waste of space. No one will visit it.

[mutt]

i'm surprised they're getting rid of the hexagon fountain icon

[SRW]

Finally, something!

I think the final plan is more than acceptable. It looks like they've ironed out most of the wrinkles in the draft: providing a pedestrian crossing between the Market and the southern end of the tram stop; moving the fountain to the more coherent wetlands setting; providing better access to the event lawn; and seemingly making the perimeter gardens more permeable, at least to the west.

I still have some concerns about the tram alignment and the problem it presents to accessing the Square from the south- and north-west corners. I'd rather it take up road space than parkland, and I wonder how 'future proof' it is in terms of prospective loops. Moreover, I reckon the success of the southern gardens will depend on how much seating is on offer (it'd be a nice spot for office workers and others to recline and take a break). Also, the 'Arcadian Grove' of statues is an interesting change from the draft plan that I can see being either a landmark or desolate.

But small quibbles to overall gain.

I find it hard to support a real redevelopment of the area when the centre of the square is still going to be used as a major thoroughfare during non-event times.

Maybe the point of this redevelopment is to slowly move towards closing this road permanently?

In the draft plan, the designers intended to limit its utility as a major thoroughfare by reducing the crossing to two lanes, restricting right turns to buses only and allowing periodic closure as an event plaza. This is a reasonable (given some quite strident opposition) first step towards complete closure that I hope has been retained in this final plan.

[Howie]

i'm surprised they're getting rid of the hexagon fountain icon

Relocated to the southern end, not removed.

[AdelaideAlive]

i'm surprised they're getting rid of the hexagon fountain icon

Relocated to the southern end, not removed.

think it was in reference to the base with the water in it

[mutt]

i'm surprised they're getting rid of the hexagon fountain icon

Relocated to the southern end, not removed.

think it was in reference to the base with the water in it

yes, it seems the hexagon is being replaced by an isosceles trapezoid

[Matt]

I'm liking moving the fountain. In the fly through it looks like its elevated too?... sort of looms over the rest of the square.

[cometthecat]

This looks nice! I like the walkways around it, makes it feel like more effort was put into it.
BTW first post! Woot.

[crawf]

Impressed.

Glad the retractable tv screen is gone, aswell a few other improvements.

[SouthAussie94]

Am I the only one who just doesn't see the point in this? Yes, Victoria Square is important and should be upgraded to some extent, but this? Seems like a massive waste of money and major overkill to me.

If the government is already committed to upgrading the riverbank and the council is upgrading Rundle Mall, why upgrade Victoria Square to such a large extent?

The vast majority of the places where people in the city will congregate are in the Northern end and Victoria Sq just seems to far away. It will most likely turn into a deserted and empty space for the vast majority of the year, much like it is now. Seems like a lot of money for what will most likely be minimal gain.