Invigorating CBD Alleyways & Lanes

[Wayno]

Not only that, but the coffee tastes like boiled hay...

That's to cater for the country students, dearie.

international roast anyone?

[monotonehell]

Not only that, but the coffee tastes like boiled hay...

That's to cater for the country students, dearie.

international roast anyone?

You really know how to lower the tone don't you? *stares at accusatively*

[Cruise]

Not only that, but the coffee tastes like boiled hay...

That's to cater for the country students, dearie.

international roast anyone?

I don't actually think that it is as bad as most make out

[Will]

I have been thinking about which of our laneways would be most appropriate to activate into a 'Melbourne style' alleyway. There are quite a few around the CBD, yet upon closer inspection I 'discovered' one which has not received much attention, yet has great potential. I am talking about Twin Street, which links Rundle Mall and Grenfell Street. I had a look using Google Streetview and discovered that the street already has a cool range of shops including a few vintage shops and waht appears to be a bar (Jade Monkey). Furthermore it has 2 arcades running from it (Gays Arcade and Twin Plaza). It also has a pedestrian connection to Hindmarsh Square. Another positive of this street is that it contains a good mix of character buildings with the required small tenancies.

I think the ACC should consider Twin Street as a laneway to activate. First of all remove all on-street parking and extend the walkway. Introduce some chracter lighting and include some street furniture.

Here is an image to show the great potential of this street:

[monotonehell]

The Grenfell Street end is good, but the other end is the loading docks for the ToysRus and CitiCente buildings. So it couldn't be completely pedestrianised, still needs truck access. But yes it has a lot going for it and now that they blocked off the laneway with that surf shop, it's the only through road before Gawler Place (Francis and Lindes Lanes being blocked by HS and DaCosta arcade).

[AtD]

Agreed Will. It's not very appealing from the Mall end, unfortunately. The shops on either corner don't "wrap around" into the lane, and there's a long line of loading docks and service lanes on either side. One of them is for the City Centre Building and one for Renaissance Tower, which I would imagine receive a significant level of use, which would make closing the street difficult.

[monotonehell]

snap!

[Omicron]

The Grenfell Street end is good, but the other end is the loading docks for the ToysRus and CitiCente buildings. So it couldn't be completely pedestrianised, still needs truck access. But yes it has a lot going for it and now that they blocked off the laneway with that surf shop, it's the only through road before Gawler Place (Francis and Lindes Lanes being blocked by HS and DaCosta arcade).

Of all the possible shops to fill such a prime position on Rundle Mall, they give us a surf shop. Mon dieu!

[omada]

Of all the possible shops to fill such a prime position on Rundle Mall, they give us a surf shop. Mon dieu!

surf shops are so....nineties.. do people still dress up in that cr*p?

[Shuz]

You said it brother - I can't stand the existence of surfwear stores, with their excessive brandage transforming its users into corporate sellouts. They are the pittance of society.

[Hippodamus]

I have been thinking about which of our laneways would be most appropriate to activate into a 'Melbourne style' alleyway. There are quite a few around the CBD, yet upon closer inspection I 'discovered' one which has not received much attention, yet has great potential. I am talking about Twin Street, which links Rundle Mall and Grenfell Street. I had a look using Google Streetview and discovered that the street already has a cool range of shops including a few vintage shops and waht appears to be a bar (Jade Monkey). Furthermore it has 2 arcades running from it (Gays Arcade and Twin Plaza). It also has a pedestrian connection to Hindmarsh Square. Another positive of this street is that it contains a good mix of character buildings with the required small tenancies.

I think the ACC should consider Twin Street as a laneway to activate. First of all remove all on-street parking and extend the walkway. Introduce some chracter lighting and include some street furniture.

Here is an image to show the great potential of this street:

Great idea Will! i have always thought exactly the same..

the only trouble i stumbled on while i also thought of this idea, was what would you do with the service areas of those two buildings (toys r us and the one opposite) which require loading / unloading areas, and i believe there is a carpark there too...?

your thoughts!>?

[monotonehell]

LOL *snap* the second, 15 days later.

[Prince George]

Do those businesses need truck/van access 24-hours or could they have limited access between, say midnight-7am?

[Omicron]

Do those businesses need truck/van access 24-hours or could they have limited access between, say midnight-7am?

They could probably arrange for deliveries and the like to occur at these times, but I suspect they'd also pay fearsomely for the privilege. A 20kg delivery from Kurralta Park to Frewville on a Saturday afternoon was going to cost us $130 (and that was at business rates), so I'd hate to think what a similar delivery would cost at 6am.

i suppose it depends on the volume and frequency of deliveries required - the odd sack truck of goods throughout the day would probably add to the lane's character rather than harm it, but obviously a procession of utes and trucks at all hours just won't work. In any case, I'd imagine most cafes, restaurants and retail shops small enough to fit in the lane would be unlikely to need a truckload of goods at any given time - moreso morning deliveries of fresh produce and sporadic deliveries of smaller boxes throughout the day. Perhaps come rent contract renewal time there might need to be a clause inserted regarding the reclassification of the laneway as primarily a pedestrian thoroughfare rather than a constant access road for deliveries, so that businesses more suited to a pedestrian mall-type location could take-up residency with full knowledge of the restrictions placed on deliveries (thereby avoiding a South Rd underpass-type situation).

Are there existing Loading Zones nearby, I wonder?

[AtD]

I would expect the laneway would have a fairly constant flow of service traffic, because there's loading docks for some very large buildings there. There wouldn't be anything else suitable within reasonable distance. The type of loading docks in the lane accept entire shipping containers as well as pallets, which need access directly to the building. You wouldn't be able to ask Toys-R-Us to accept deliveries from Grenfell Street and wheel them in, for example. Big-box retailing doesn't work like that.

In the pie-in-the-sky world, the ACC (or someone) could construct an underground common loading dock that is available for use of all local tenants.