One Piazza And Hold The Buses: Parramatta's Supreme Vision
Sydney Morning Herald
Tuesday April 3, 2001
A piazza at the centre of the Parramatta Mall, the removal of kiosks and a monument celebrating car culture are being considered as part of a revamp of Sydney's second-biggest city centre.
Parramatta City Council's blueprint for the design and management of its parks, plazas and footpaths follows criticism that the centre has suffered from inconsistent building designs, in both shape and height.
It aims to create ``distinctive places through public art in the same way as Melbourne". This could involve:
* Light sculptures or displays along the Parramatta River;
* A large artwork in Auto Alley in Church Street a string of about a dozen car yards, and;
* Floral displays and public art that brands the southern end of Church Street close to Westfield Shopping Centre as ``Parramatta's Asian area".
Some retailers have complained of a run-down shopping mall in Church Street - long regarded as the city centre's spine and retail heart - and the need for a better mix of shops.
The council will consider removing buses from Church Street to provide better amenity for outdoor diners. Alfresco dining is flourishing in this area.
But the council will also consider opening Church Street Mall to traffic again. The council's city centre manager, Mr Steven Head, said the mall was closed to traffic in the mid-1980s, ``and in some ways it has been successful".
``But there is a feeling that retail trade has diminished because cars can't get in the area, and when the shops close it dies down," Mr Head said.
The council may also relocate the ampitheatre from its central position in the mall to allow better pedestrian access. The ampitheatre has served as Parramatta's centrepiece for outdoor civic events for the past 15 years, and its lunchtime entertainment has proved popular.
Ms Judith McDonald, a former president of the Parramatta Chamber of Commerce, said the mall's retail mix did not satisfy a lot of people's shopping needs.
``It's not an attractive retail space at present, and the area really needs a lift."
Mr Head estimated the plans would cost tens of millions of dollars. ``This plan is a recognition that not all development in the past has been as of good a quality as we might like to have seen in Parramatta."
FACT FILE
A draft public domain plan, now on public display, focuses on the redevelopment of the Church Street Mall, including:
* A piazza with water fountains or sculptures running down its full length at the centre of the mall, from Macquarie to George streets;
* Residential development on top of retail buildings;
* A new visual or multi-arts centre;
* Obstacles such as kiosks and planter boxes removed to create better access for pedestrians.
© 2001 Sydney Morning Herald