Mants wrote:Phantom wrote:If they wanted to cover up the carpark under the Convention Centre, they could easily do this with hedges, shrubs and general foliage. I reckon it would look pretty awesome like that.
I've thought for a while now that a green wall running the entire length of the carpark would look phenomenal. As well as this it would portray a good image of our city, soften the landscape and filter the air coming out of the carpark.
I would also like to add how the recent Festival venues, namely Lola's Pergola and last year's Barrio, have given us a glimpse of "what could be" in relation to activating and enticing people to the Riverbank area. The sheer success of both events have shown that we are more than ready to embrace the idea of a riverside precinct as somewhere to congregate and socialise, just as long as the facilities to do so are there.
What I am curious to know is if this stage of the redevelopment includes any areas for restaurants/bars at all.
The 'green wall' / 'vertical garden' sounds like a good idea to camouflage the ugly car park and enhance the streetscape.
Lola's Pergola was a fab advertisement for creative, lively use of the Riverbank precinct, allied to an event and great outdoors weather. Sadly, I can't see that there is sufficient demand - at this stage for additional (permanent/year-round) restaurants/bars to be viable. Great during festivals, events and before/after games at Adelaide Oval but would they struggle at other times??
Regattas Bistro would benefit now from increased pedestrianization and activity in the precinct. The Casino extension and Hotel would help with increased 24/7 activity. Other plans including revitalization, renewal/redevelopment of the barren Festival Plaza are also needed to increase the overall appeal of the precinct and attract more locals, visitors. Bit of a 'chicken and egg'!!
Perhaps new or revised river/riverside activities, themed experiences and complementary marketing could increase activity and demand from a range of demographics and increase visitation, including tourists.
The new medical/health/education/research precinct, evolving along North Terrace in proximity to the River, will boost numbers of workers, clients, students etc to the mix. The accompanying regeneration and attractiveness of the NW corner as a place to work and live should assist development, re-purposing/redevelopment and demand for residential use, which could add to demand/viability for restaurants/bars/cafés in the vicinity.
In the longer term, the redevelopment of the ugly Riverside office complex to overcome the barrier effect along North Terrace is a must. The buildings blocking access to, and 'turning their backs' on the River, could be fixed with a well designed redevelopment.