[COM] Rundle Mall Redevelopment | $30m

[Waewick]

It sounds good in theory but knowing elderly folk and those who aren't students, I don't think that'd be a good idea. elderly folk wouldn't take too keenly to Friday and Saturday Nights. Rich folk wouldn't take too keenly to weekdays, nights, afternoons, dawns, weekends, public holidays and any moment that they are residing in their apartment. Complaints would be heard echoing at West Beach

yeah thats true, I guess it reflects the minimal number of professionals in the 25-40 age bracket in adelaide

[Straze]

I can't see much wrong with Rundle Mall either, and it's certainly far from "dying".

My suggestions to make it even better than it already is would be
- Get rid of those embarrassing pig statues, and maybe replace them with some decent, modern and exciting art forms, or preferably a couple of big interesting and modern fountains and some innovative and interesting signage (perhaps detailing local history or culture).
- Replace the existing central kiosks with nicer looking ones (the existing ones look a bit "gothic" to me and I'd prefer a design that was more aesthetically pleasing).
- Put in some large palm trees all along the centre of the mall
. Ensure that there are high quality street performers in the mall at all times (during trading hours) in addition to regular buskers (I notice they have been doing this occasionally lately but it should be more regular)
- Encourage all rundle mall retailers to do something different than they do at their suburban stores. This might mean they provide customers with entertainment, or they offer lower prices or different stock than in the suburbs, or they have bigger stores in Rundle Mall with a greater range of stock, or anything else to differentiate them and give people genuine reasons to shop there for something different to what they'll find in the suburbs.

Having said all that, it's not bad as it is and the fact that there are major developments happening at Woolworths and hopefully soon at Harris Scarfe show that investors have confidence in its future.

The problem that i find with Rundle Mall is the foot traffic at night and on public holidays, most of it seems to be up the east end of the mall due to KFC, Hungry Jacks and McDonalds. McDonalds used to have a store at the west end of Rundle Mall which was as i remember was open almost everyday of the year and at nights sometimes until early in the morning, but since they gone there is now nothing left open up that end to generate foot traffic. In order to generate some foot traffic along that end of Rundle Mall there needs to be something open such as a convenience store, pub or fast food outlet (McDonalds, Hungry Jacks, KFC or Subway), also if Coles can open from Midnight in Chinatown perhaps Woolworths could open their doors from Midnight to generate some foot traffic and provide some security as they would have the money to hire them. As part of the Harris Scarfe building redevelopment is there still interest in a supermarket, does anyone know who has taken an interest, could Coles be returning to Rundle Mall or perhaps a Foodland/IGA be interested.

There is no reason to get rid of the pigs, just because a minority of people don't like them doesn't mean they should go, they are a piece of art and is one of the last kids friendly attraction other than Toys R Us. With Dazzleland gone there is not alot up that end to interest the kids. In order to attract all kinds of people to Rundle Mall we need to established businesses and attractions that attract all not just a selected few who just want to spend, spend, spend just for the fun of it.

[ChrisRT]

- Get rid of those embarrassing pig statues, and maybe replace them with some decent, modern and exciting art forms, or preferably a couple of big interesting and modern fountains and some innovative and interesting signage (perhaps detailing local history or culture).

It may surprise you to learn a lot of people really like those pig sculptures. They add character and are as much a part of the mall now as the infamous malls balls. Fountains are nice but they would probably have to be turned off in summer, they're expensive, they take up space and they don't really add much.

I honestly don't understand all this fuss about the mall. I think that management are just concerned that other parts of the city are starting to see lots of development and activity (eg. entertainment centre area, central market area, North Terrace) and they want a piece of the action.

[Vee]

- Get rid of those embarrassing pig statues, and maybe replace them with some decent, modern and exciting art forms, or preferably a couple of big interesting and modern fountains and some innovative and interesting signage (perhaps detailing local history or culture).

It may surprise you to learn a lot of people really like those pig sculptures. They add character and are as much a part of the mall now as the infamous malls balls. Fountains are nice but they would probably have to be turned off in summer, they're expensive, they take up space and they don't really add much.

The pig sculptures are now an iconic part of the mall. They are unique, well crafted and much loved, especially by tourists and kids and many Adelaideans.
They feature in many photos and are an instantly recognisable part of the Mall.

Leave the pigs - they add much needed character and style. Love 'em!

[pushbutton]

I agree that it's good to have something for the kids to play with but PIGS eating rubbish out of bins? - disgusting!

How about replacing them with something a bit more tasteful like ponies, elephants, kangaroos / wallabies, or even cute puppies?

[Hooligan]

come on, without the pigs where else will tourists get photos of themselves dry humping a statue in adelaide?

[yousername]

come on, without the pigs where else will tourists get photos of themselves dry humping a statue in adelaide?

Lower Queen Vic's statue?

[Nathan]

I agree that it's good to have something for the kids to play with but PIGS eating rubbish out of bins? - disgusting!

How about replacing them with something a bit more tasteful like ponies, elephants, kangaroos / wallabies, or even cute puppies?

Disgusting for you, maybe, but I'm sure the pigs quite enjoy it.

[stumpjumper]

If the mall isn't actually dying, it is not in perfect health.

The answer is people - with money in their pockets - and the goods they want to buy - available when they want to buy them - and with the means to conveniently carry them away.

A supermarket is not a good idea unless there is a large, very local residential population. People carry a lot from a supermarket and want their car nearby. Most people won't settle for the bus with an armful of groceries.

There are several levels to Rundle Mall's economy which need to be properly catered for make the mall healthy - the precinct has a retail economy, a youth economy and a night time economy.

The Mall has to be attractive: easily accessible, safe, comfortable and interesting. It has to be a place where people want to be. This involves everything from tenant mix to hard and soft landscaping to lighting to temporary activities and attractions, while meeting the requirements for deliveries, emergency services etc.

I wouldn't be the first person to lament the lack of a decent open space connected to Rundle Mall, either. Rundle Mall was originally planned as a residential street - the cost of carting water from the Torrens was one of the reasons for businesses establishing in the narrow street.

[rubegoldbergdevice]

Now I'm off to make my silly self some breakfast, maybe some protein will knock some sense into me.

Oh come on you. You need carbs in the morning. Debate was never meant to be polite, and I've been called worse than silly on here. Someone once called me a c*%t!

I'm a fan of yours generally (and the Prince also) and I do share your skepticism re. development. However I reckon you're being over-sensitive in this case. The whole entire Mall is NEVER going to be covered, so I think this is not an issue to worry about. Plus Adelaide isn't THAT stupid. I'd like to think.

Just sayin again, Anne Moran is a dickhead.

The thing that really baffles me in this is how so very passionate people get about Victoria Square, even though no one really knows what it's for yet, but with the ACTUAL "market place" of Adelaide no one seems to give a shit beyond "it's doing ok" or "it's just a retail precinct". Come on people! It's very important!! And something that Adelaide can easily spend fuck all on and stick in Sydney and Melbourne's face. Pitt St sucks and Bourke St is Melbourne's greatest civic failure.

The pigs are awesome btw. People who think not I will also call silly. They are known interstate as icons. More of that please.

[rubegoldbergdevice]

I agree that it's good to have something for the kids to play with but PIGS eating rubbish out of bins? - disgusting!

How about replacing them with something a bit more tasteful like ponies, elephants, kangaroos / wallabies, or even cute puppies?

Are you for real? If your kids are playing with those pigs they're probably PRETTY bored and maybe your statuary at home is lacking. And in that line of thinking, maybe that disgusting statue of Venus with her disgusting boobs on North Terrace and also the Edward VII one, also with disgusting boobs, should be replaced with boobless marsupials or a basketful of puppies? So the kids can play with them. And that hellish Hercules with his wang out near Adelaide Oval... maybe an interactive, cricket bat wielding cuscus?

While we're at it, why not censor the internet?

SILLY, SILLY PERSON.

Seriously though, there is a difference between statuary and sculpture. The Mall can and should contain both. Pigs stay.

[pushbutton]

I'm not offended by nude statues, as long as they're tasteful and not pornographic, but I am embarrassed when I'm in Rundle Mall and I see the very few tourists we actually get in Adelaide taking photos of pig statues eating rubbish out of bins. I can only imagine how they're friends laugh at Adelaide when they see the photos back in Japan.

"Look what they have in the main shopping street in Adelaide - PIGS!"

Oh dear, oh dear. Is that really the best we can offer?

[monotonehell]

The anti-pig bias in this thread is disturbing.

It's a whimsical piece of public art, much loved by many. To the above cries of "OMG they is pigz!!!! pigz am dirty!!!!111eleven" here's some news THEY AREN'T REAL PIGS. They are made out of metal. Grow a sense of humour people.

Also for those who were wondering, the Mall's Balls are not real testicles.

[rhino]

It's a whimsical piece of public art, much loved by many. THEY AREN'T REAL PIGS. They are made out of metal. Grow a sense of humour people.

Hear Hear! Love the pigs!

[Queen Anne]

Now I'm off to make my silly self some breakfast, maybe some protein will knock some sense into me.

Oh come on you. You need carbs in the morning. Debate was never meant to be polite, and I've been called worse than silly on here. Someone once called me a c*%t!

I'm a fan of yours generally (and the Prince also) and I do share your skepticism re. development. However I reckon you're being over-sensitive in this case. The whole entire Mall is NEVER going to be covered, so I think this is not an issue to worry about. Plus Adelaide isn't THAT stupid. I'd like to think.

Just sayin again, Anne Moran is a dickhead.

The thing that really baffles me in this is how so very passionate people get about Victoria Square, even though no one really knows what it's for yet, but with the ACTUAL "market place" of Adelaide no one seems to give a shit beyond "it's doing ok" or "it's just a retail precinct". Come on people! It's very important!! And something that Adelaide can easily spend fuck all on and stick in Sydney and Melbourne's face. Pitt St sucks and Bourke St is Melbourne's greatest civic failure.

The pigs are awesome btw. People who think not I will also call silly. They are known interstate as icons. More of that please.

Lol, when George saw my post he said, "Uh-oh, Queenie's got her petulant voice on.." I think my reaction reveals that I was probably feeling a bit silly I've been thinking about this, and you might be right that I'm overreacting about the idea of covering the mall (though it's still not an option that excites me, personally).

While I was living in America I read a book called, Cities Back from the Edge: New Life for Downtown. It contained examples where American cities and towns had opted for large building projects as the answer to their downtowns' problems (including plopping suburban style shopping centres downtown). Often, these projects did not work well, and it made me realise that any place can be 'that stupid'. Scary stuff. But would we in Adelaide, in 2010, really be that simple? I think I hit the panic button there, and was imagining something much worse for the mall than other people on here are.

You make an interesting point about the role Rundle Mall could play. Is she our Cinderella? Something to think about.

I love the pigs too.

Thanks rube

PS: Peeps, at the risk of sounding like a very old lady, the "C" word is never a good look. I'm shocked to hear it was used actually!