http://www.news.com.au/couriermail/stor ... 02,00.html
Brisbane CBD makeover to feature laneway cafes
Article from: The Courier-Mail
By Craig Johnstone
December 23, 2008 11:00pm
BRISBANE'S city centre is set to undergo a revamp as the council looks for other focal points of CBD activity apart from the popular Queen Street Mall.
However, the mall is not being neglected, with the launch next month of a development strategy aimed at cementing its position as the state's top shopping location.
The Brisbane City Council is investigating turning some of the city's laneways into cafe precincts as part of the strategy.
The move, backed up by a budget believed to top $12 million, is aimed at ensuring parts of the city centre, such as laneways, have a more cosmopolitan feel.
Burnett Lane, between the mall and Adelaide St, is a candidate for revitalisation, with plans to give the narrow street over to small coffee shops, al fresco dining and specialist retailers.
Just metres from the bustle of the mall, the lane is mostly used for deliveries and storing rubbish.
However, the lane has the potential to be a drawcard in its own right.
Earlier this year, it hosted part of the Inhabit exhibition of public art staged by the council.
The Urban Futures Brisbane Board, which advises the council on planning matters, has launched an investigation into improving the laneways as well as the space around Central Railway Station.
Brisbane Marketing major events director Julie Turpie said the development strategy would focus on improving the strengths of the Queen Street Mall and surrounds rather than a total refurbishment.
"The retail strategy is about emphasising what the area already has rather than fixing anything," she said.
"We want to attract a greater share of the tourism market coming to Brisbane as well as maintain the mall's position as the state's premier shopping destination."
The mall, which underwent a 10-month, $25 million refurbishment in 1999, attracts 26 million visitors each year.
More than 700 retailers base themselves on the mall or in one of the several buildings and arcades on its edge.
