www.newcastlepost.com.au
Councillors choose design for High Street Mall amid costing concerns AMELIA PARROTT
M
aitland Council has entered the detailed design and documentation phase of the High Street Mall redevelopment project after voting unanimously to adopt the concept design put forward by urban designers McGregor Coxall when Council met last week. The design includes the refurbishment of the mall, river walk and Bourke Street river link, as well as the establishment of a second river link near Bulwer Street. Councillor Bob Geoghegan was cautious in his support of the motion, urging councillors to consider the other important projects Council had in the pipeline. “It’s about how much we can afford to spend,” Cr Geoghegan said. “There are other major projects we are planning to complete within our fouryear term including the central library and indoor pool and there is only a limited amount of money at our disposal. “We can’t jeopardise these projects for the sake of the Mall.” Councillors will choose between four options, ranging in cost from $7 million to $18 million. Cr Arch Humphrey was one of a number of councillors who expressed concerns about relying solely on major retailers and the shared pedestrian/
Local News
Design adopted for Mall
The High Street Mall concept design adopted by Maitland Council
vehicle zone to ensure the Mall’s success. “We have to be careful when we’re talking about the sort of money like $18 million,” he said. “Newcastle opened their Mall to traffic,
then David Jones moved out and they lost 50 per cent of their tenants.” Cr Loretta Baker had a more optimistic view. She said Maitland was not like
Newcastle and Council should be supporting retailers who had already made fledgling moves onto the riverbank. What do you think of the design? Email editorial@newcastlepost.com.au
The Hunter Post Wednesday, December 5, 2012
5