The New Year will signal the start of significant work on the Nicholas St redevelopment.
The first stage was completed in time for Christmas, with the paving, seating and landscaping finished and the reinstated street opened to pedestrians.
But now the real heavy lifting will begin.
Ipswich City Council’s development application focuses on land at 143, 143A and 163 Brisbane Street, 23 and 24 Ipswich City Mall and 2 Bell Street, Ipswich.
The $250 million project, which includes new retail, restaurant, recreation and entertainment precincts, will be constructed and finished by mid-2021.
This will include council’s new administration building and library.
Residents and shoppers will see the establishment of new business uses such as cafes, fast food premises, shops, offices, new cinema complex and indoor go kart track.
The proposed development will be serviced by existing car parking facilities, including the existing car park accessed via Bremer Street and located under the new library and Civic Plaza.
A high level of pedestrian access is expected owing to the location of the development within the city centre.
It also seeks to integrate with adjoining and nearby development, with a particular focus on facade improvements and refurbishment of the existing buildings.
Interim Administrator Greg Chemello said the retail precinct of the Nicholas St redevelopment would benefit the Ipswich community for years to come.
“This is the last piece of the CBD, the last material decision that council can make, the final piece of that puzzle of the CBD, and many businesses are keen to be part of the action” he said at his final council meeting last month,” he said.
Mr Chemello said council will spend $43.6 million on the retail, commercial and entertainment buildings that it owns in Brisbane Street, Bell Street and Nicholas Street with a “redevelop, refurbish, lease and sell” strategy.
“Council’s marketing and leasing advisors are well down track with potential tenants and business operators, and the next mayor will have the joy of announcing a number of commitments by new businesses wanting to set up in Ipswich Central,” he said.
“The retail redevelopment is being driven by business interest in setting up in the Ipswich CBD.”
The public is now keen to find out what and when it is happening in the days, months and years ahead.
Ipswich First today provides an estimated timeline of significant milestones.
Nicholas Street Timelines
December 2019:
Fence removed from current Nicholas Street roadworks and street opened to pedestrians
Paving, landscaping and seating completed
January to June 2020:
Demolition works on Metro (artist impression below), Eats and Venue areas expected to commence January
Metro, Eats and Venue building refurbishment commences
Work on Commonwealth Hotel refurbishment commences
Works on facade refurbishment commences
September 2020:
Handover of tenancies in Eats (artist impression below) and the Commonwealth Hotel to new Nicholas Street vendors for shop fitting works
October 2020:
Ipswich Central Library opens
Civic Space opens
Refurbished car park opens
New public elevators open
January to April 2021:
Handover of tenancies in Metro, Eats and Venue to new Nicholas Street vendors for shop fitting works
Nicholas Street and Union Place open for vehicle access
June/July 2021:
Metro, Eats and Venue (artist impression below) areas open
Commonwealth Hotel opens
Ipswich City Council Administration Building opens
Dear Ipswich First I am delighted to see you will be starting work in Nicholas Street. I might be even happier if I knew where you were talking about.
Like many Ratepayers my husband and I live outside the CBD. We do come into central Ipswich, but not frequently, and when we do it is usually to go somewhere specific, such as the hospital or Rail station. Again like many other people, we only moved to the region a couple of years ago.
The result is that when you describe all these exciting developments, I have no idea where these named roads are. Some reference to their location such as, near the Town Hall, or at the top of Brisbane St – which we recognise as part of the one way system. Better yet, a brief sketch identifying a couple of nearby land marks, would help those of us who are geographically challenged. I hope you might find this possible Many Thanks
Needs more thongs and footy shorts! This is great and all but I think its wishful thinking if you think its the right demographic.
Taken so bloody long- pull yourself finger out and get it done
This is fantastic. I really hope some great food and retail shops lease these spaces. I hope more is done to improve the demographic of people though. All this work will be wasted if the mall just fills up with vagrants again deterring the demographic this development is built for. Ipswich has so much potential but until better controls are in place to manage the undesirable behaviours, it will never flourish.