[COM] Victoria Square Upgrade - $24m

[Will]

Do you know what would be awesome? If when the courts are moved from the former Moore's Department Store building, they pulled the Hilton and the Central Market arcade + Coles down and built a Casino with a new high-rise hotel where the Hilton is, whilst retaining the old building as the centrepiece of the whole project.. And on-top of that, without destroying the Central Market's charm, give the exterior a painted face-lift.

Think of all that, with the newly upgraded Victoria Square...

OR better yet, think of if the surrounding area to Victoria Square became Adelaide's new high-rise development precinct moving the tall-ish buildings more South of the CBD.

I think the whole Central Market is looking old, dirty and ugly, I would love to see it bulldozed and rebuilt into a two storey development with a fresh looking more cleaner market selling produce in the middle with restaurants along the fronts at street level and outlet stores on top of the marketplace.

NO!

Leave my market alone. If you want sterility, go to your local woolies or coles.

Mind you, I agree that the entrance from Vic Sq, Market Plaza and the coles facade fronting Grote St, do need a facelift.

[Pants]

Don't touch the actual Market, bit please do something about the arcades on each end and that hideous Coles store...

Yep. I'd also re-do the carpark entrances.

[Matt]

The Chinatown end (Aces) is particularly bad.

[monotonehell]

Ah, the website's been updated in the last day or two. Seriously hope the arbours concept hasn't gone by the wayside - given their cost, wouldn't be surprised.

I think that they would put those in as the last stage when both stage one and two are complete. Otherwise it would be... awkward.

[Matt]

Yeah, figured they'd come at the end but something I read about future additions from the masterplan didn't make mention of them at all.

[claybro]

Hate to say, but looking at the stage one plan and then compare to the masterplan, I think the arbours have been replaced by the Lemon Scented Gums. My dismay at the Lemon Scented gums are already noted here, but the sheer size and the number the number they are planting of these trees i doubt will allow space for the arbours as well.

[Kasey771]

Don't touch the actual Market, bit please do something about the arcades on each end and that hideous Coles store...

100% agree. I love the way entering the current market is an assault on all 5 senses...the sights the smells, the sounds...it is not a food court and shouldn't be. The only market in Australia I've seen that comes close is the Freo markets, which adds a bit of Melbourne's Queen Vic market(stall holders selling nik-naks) to the fresh food of our ACM. The malls to the East and West of the ACM are atrocious pieces of crap and should be either demolished or replaced with more space for stalls.

[mattblack]

Hate to say, but looking at the stage one plan and then compare to the masterplan, I think the arbours have been replaced by the Lemon Scented Gums. My dismay at the Lemon Scented gums are already noted here, but the sheer size and the number the number they are planting of these trees i doubt will allow space for the arbours as well.

Arbours will go in at a later stage once the road realignment has taken place

[Shahkar]

Hate to say, but looking at the stage one plan and then compare to the masterplan, I think the arbours have been replaced by the Lemon Scented Gums. My dismay at the Lemon Scented gums are already noted here, but the sheer size and the number the number they are planting of these trees i doubt will allow space for the arbours as well.

Arbours will go in at a later stage once the road realignment has taken place

[DaveAdl]

Confirmed the arbors go in at the last stage (road realignment) by Stephen Yarwood via Twitter

[Wayno]

Fed election coming up, with pork bareling being the norm. Requesting $60m to finish VSQ, as part of regional development scheme, should be front and centre. Realise the ACC did apply going back a ways, but circumstance suggests we should resubmit an application now.

[pushbutton]

Well one thing's for sure in my opinion. There's no point spending money landscaping Victoria Square if they don't do something to really encourage and facilitate new investment in the buildings surrounding it. There is nothing really attractive about the area around the square but it does have potential (like a lot of things in SA).

I don't mind the idea of a brand new casino complex there, but I don't think it's realistic now given that SkyCity seems to have committed to a major upgrade of the existing casino, and the SA Government has given them a monopoly on casinos in SA.

The good news is there are many other exciting developments that COULD surround Victoria Square. It could become a place where people actually want to spend time, especially in the evenings and at weekend.

Off the top of my head how about an open-air food court (top quality) with live entertainment. Relocate the Ice Arena from Thebarton and add indoor skiing and tobogans served by modern cable cars, plus a snowman building / snowball fight area. A wax museum, and a few gold coast style attractions like Infinity, Ripleys, and Draculas (attraction and dining experience in the same premises).

At one end of the square could be a London Eye style ferris wheel, and a couple of thrill rides.

Decorate the whole area and the square itself with tasteful yet colourful lighting at night, and have it filled with pleasant music day and night. Bite the bullet and close all the roads around the perimeter of the square so the whole precinct becomes pedestrian friendly.

If they put all that in, well designed and serviced by excellent, free or very cheap parking, I would bet my life savings it would be a massive success and make Victoria Square literally the centrepeice of SA.

As for Central Markets, I am well aware a lot of people love it, so it would be foolish to completely get rid of it. However I do think it's seriously overdue for a major re-build. I would get rid of the arcades and Coles completely (Coles have a new store in Rundle Mall now so probably wouldn't mind too much) and use the space for an expanded and more spacious market. Not quite "sterile" as such, but at least a whole lot more attractive and pleasant than what's there now, which (without meaning offense to anyone) is dirty and dated and smelly in my opinion.

[Pikey]

So essentially add a heap of Theme park style attractions around the square?

Riiiiiiiight........

A mix of quality residential buildings, with a mix of office accommodation and retail precincts, ala Hindmarsh square is a much better proposition.

[pushbutton]

So essentially add a heap of Theme park style attractions around the square?

Riiiiiiiight........

A mix of quality residential buildings, with a mix of office accommodation and retail precincts, ala Hindmarsh square is a much better proposition.

Why is that better? It sounds boring to me.

[crawf]

So essentially add a heap of Theme park style attractions around the square?

Riiiiiiiight........

A mix of quality residential buildings, with a mix of office accommodation and retail precincts, ala Hindmarsh square is a much better proposition.

+1