OUR SALISBURY CITY CENTRE TRANSFORMATION

Ten years in the making and what a difference! The City of Salisbury first launched its Salisbury City Centre Revitalisation Strategy in 2012, with a long term planned vision, encompassing substantial improvement to amenities for customers, visitors, businesses and workers.

We first saw the completion and opening of the Salisbury Community Hub in 2019, the demolition of the former Council building and redevelopment of Salisbury Civic Plaza, and then in 2022 we welcomed the commencement of the Church and John Street Revitalisation Project.

With the much awaited project being a priority of the City of Salisbury, they condensed the redevelopment timeframe from 3 years to 12 months to ensure that the project delivered the maximum impact.

Following multiple public consultations across several years, Council worked with the Salisbury Business Association and other stakeholders to deliver a more vibrant, accessible, customer friendly mainstreet precinct.

Two of the key aims of the revitalisation project was (1) to support community, traders and City Centre visitors and (2) develop Church and John Streets as mainstreet boulevards setting the foundations to encourage further private economic investment.

Key features that were reflected in the consultations and were delivered in the project include:

• Enhanced pedestrian safety with the reconfiguration of Church Street to assist with slowing traffic and facilitating smoother pedestrian crossing out the front of Hoyts Cinema Complex as well as the Salisbury Community Hub

• Improved safety and security through improved LED lighting and CCTV coverage and upgraded Wi-Fi

• Creative artworks from the Salisbury Interchange to Church Street including a beautiful piece to commemorate the Salisbury railway crossing accident, celebrating the Salisbury City Band and Para Hills Brass Band and a third piece welcoming everyone from everywhere to Salisbury.

• Greater connectivity between the Salisbury Railway Station and Bus Interchange and John Street with more of a promenade type feel

• New garden beds and treescaping throughout the precinct

• Greater public amenity through outdoor seating and street furniture, installation of a new public toilets, expanded Salisbury Civic Plaza space and upgraded paving across some areas

• Improved parking for people with a disability and increased loading zone areas for local businesses

• Laneway beautification creating a north/south pedestrian corridor from Judd Carpark (off Wiltshire Street) through Judd Laneway, across John Street, through the Sexton Laneway through Sexton Carpark to the doorstep of the Hoyts Cinema Complex

Customers and local traders alike share the comments around John Street being more open, ‘welcoming’ and less cluttered, with more plantings that will only look better as they mature.

BY DAVID WAYLEN, EXECUTIVE OFFICER SALISBURY BUSINESS ASSOCIATION INC

Throughout the project, the City of Salisbury worked closely with the Salisbury Business Association and local traders to ensure that any inconvenience to businesses and their customers was minimised.

Council has also committed to a wider vision to support the redevelopment through more after-hours business opportunities including dining, shopfront improvements, street maintenance, activation as well as exciting future redevelopment opportunities for key Council owned sites across the City Centre. As a result of this major investment in the Salisbury City Centre, over the coming months we will see more events planned to include buskers in Civic Plaza during lunchtimes, ‘pop-up’ activation of both the Judd and Sexton Laneways with activities and events, expansion of outdoor dining opportunities and much more. This investment by the City of Salisbury complements high level of investment across the Salisbury City Centre by property owners on sites such as Parabanks Shopping Centre, The Salisbury Hotel, Hoyts Entertainment Complex, Independent Institute of Food Processing, Salisbury House

Medical and Dental, Aldi, Pascale Legal, Radiology SA, and there’s even more to come. Many business owners have also refreshed their building facades, added new signage and new window displays as well as improved lighting and accessibility.

If you haven’t been for a while, I encourage you to visit the City Centre, grab a coffee, see a movie, engage in FREE school holiday activities, enjoy lunch or dinner at one of the many cafes and restaurants, book a hair and beauty appointment, check out the Salisbury Community Hub and Library and browse the wonderful array of businesses and local traders that we have here.

Despite difficult economic times and the lengthy impact of COVID, we are grateful that John Street currently enjoys 100% occupancy of all buildings and much of our precinct has 90% + occupancy including Parabanks Shopping Centre.

“It is exciting to see construction near completion. This fantastic project will revitalise our City Centre and create an enhanced experience for those visiting the area.” Mayor Aldridge said.

Mayor Aldridge said while John Street has been an iconic part of the City Centre, it was time to give the much-loved street a face-lift. “John Street has always been a lovely part of our City Centre, and it has always met the community’s needs. But over time, we have changed, evolved and diversified.

Our Salisbury City Centre has “Something for Everyone” and as our local MP, Hon. Zoe Bettison always says, “Come to Salisbury and see the world”

But we’re not finished yet … Stay tuned, through multiple redevelopment opportunities, there’s more to come!

Join us on this journey.