[COM] Victoria Square Upgrade - $24m

[Xaragmata]

Christmas tree and fountain - mid December

[rev]

Heard on the grapevine the next stage could be starting soon after tour down under moves out.

[Nathan]

Heard on the grapevine the next stage could be starting soon after tour down under moves out.

Really? The Lord Mayor and the council have been very quiet if so (although not that surprising I guess, has anyone heard anything from the new mayor since the election?)

[monotonehell]

Really? The Lord Mayor and the council have been very quiet if so (although not that surprising I guess, has anyone heard anything from the new mayor since the election?)

Not a peep. He must still be recovering from the shock of being elected.

[SRW]

Heard on the grapevine the next stage could be starting soon after tour down under moves out.

Really? The Lord Mayor and the council have been very quiet if so (although not that surprising I guess, has anyone heard anything from the new mayor since the election?)

Seems doubtful. Royal Croquet Club are taking over pretty much the whole square for festival season. And the Lord Mayor was pretty unsupportive of the Victoria Square redevelopment IIRC.

[Llessur2002]

On a radio interview just before Christmas he was talking about the improvements to the Chinatown precinct and the surrounding area being a priority - he seemed to suggest that this would include further works to Victoria Square.

[Nathan]

Sigh.

Lord Mayor Martin Haese says remaining Victoria Square development is ‘gross over-capitalisation
http://www.news.com.au/national/south-a ... 7470303895

THE $100 million Victoria Square masterplan is “dead”, with a majority of city councillors saying they do not have the money to finish the project.

The $28 million first stage of the square’s redevelopment was completed last year.

But Lord Mayor Martin Haese said spending the $70 million proposed to finish it – including realignment of King William St and the tram line and building a cafe, an events stage and wetlands – was a “gross over-capitalisation”.

Councillors Anne Moran, Phillip Martin, Priscilla Corbell, David Slama, Sandy Wilkinson and Alex Antic said they were unlikely to support going ahead with the rest of the master plan because of the cost.

Deputy Mayor Houssam Abiad and councillors Natasha Malani, Robert Simms and Megan Hender said they hoped the project could go ahead as planned in future years – but only with a major contribution from the State Government.

Cr Moran said the Victoria Square masterplan was “dead as the proverbial dodo”.

“There is no appetite to spend any more money on Victoria Square,” she said.

Cr Martin echoed those sentiments, saying he was surprised the first stage had cost so much. “I tried to add up everything that was done there but I couldn’t come anywhere near $28 million,” he said.

There is no money for the project in the council’s current budget.

The State Government provided $2 million to produce the masterplan, but did not contribute to the first stage of works and has not set aside money for it in the past five budgets.

Mr Haese said something would have to be done “on the southern side of Victoria Square eventually” but said realignment of the road was a waste of money.

“I’m of the view that unless we get a major contribution from the state we should look to complete a more modest or realistic second stage,” he said.

“I think you could argue (that following the masterplan) would be a gross over-capitalisation of Victoria Square.”

Cr Slama said the plan to change the square’s shape “was ridiculous”. “That would take us back to the ’60s,” he said.

Plans for Victoria Square had been debated for decades before the masterplan was ­created in 2010, with heated argument over the best way to restore the area.

One idea was to remove the east-west road through the square and return the area to parkland. But that was bitterly opposed by some traders, who believed it would have disastrous impacts on city traffic.

Cr Wilkinson said he believed the second stage should focus on tree planting and could be completed for about $70,000.

“There is no way I would support spending $70 million more on Victoria Square when all the southern side needs is some more large trees,” he said.

Former lord mayor Stephen Yarwood said he was disappointed the council was unlikely to proceed with the project but hoped it could be done in future years.

Mr Haese said there would be no plans to redevelop the southern area of the Square until after the council decides on what to do with the Central Market Arcade. It will return to Town Hall control in 2018 after its current lease expires.

[SRW]

It truly seems like for every step forward the previous council took us, this new group has taken us two steps back. It's hard to not feel demoralised knowing that Adelaide is capable of more than this mob dares to allow or even believe.

[[Shuz]]

So the one thing that this inactive and indecisive Council finally decides to do... is to not do something!

[Ben]

Get rid of Haese. What a joke of a lord mayor he has become. Bring back Yarwood. All that hard work is being eroded. Imagine if the State Government hadn't taken control of development in the CBD. Nothing would be happening!

[crawf]

I agree with you guys, though what needs to happen is the State Government injecting a large summary of $$$ towards the redevelopment.

Considering their long list of priorities... it maybe awhile.

[Nathan]

I agree with you guys, though what needs to happen is the State Government injecting a large summary of $$$ towards the redevelopment.

Considering their long list of priorities... it maybe awhile.

Agreed. I understand the council not having the $70m to complete it, but it was never the intention that they would go it alone. Council should be very strongly agitating the state and federal governments to contribute, rather than giving up.

According to Cr Wilkinson, "all the southern side needs is some more large trees". Ridiculous. Victoria Square is not the parklands, it's an urban/civic square and needs to be treated as such.

[monotonehell]

*justified grumbles*

[ChillyPhilly]

Idiots.

[Patrick_27]

Get rid of Haese. What a joke of a lord mayor he has become.

Wait, he was actually taken seriously at one point? I've always felt he was a joke...