Wollongong will celebrate the reopening of Crown Street Mall with a street party in the $22.5 million refurbished pedestrian space.

Summer on Crown kicks off at 12.30pm on November 22 and runs until 3.30pm, featuring a DJ, volleyball court, fashion stylists, one-day sales and food and drink stalls.

The official opening will be held at noon.

The mall has undergone major renovations over 18 months, including new pavers, seats and lighting, the removal of the birdcage, fountains and playground.

Wollongong Lord Mayor Gordon Bradbery was pleased with the changes and said the mall looked pretty smart.

He said the work had to be done because the mall hadn't been touched since 1986.

"It had a lot of trip hazards and high maintenance costs, so the idea was to take out all that clutter which inhibited views," he said.

"That makes it a lot better for security and passive surveillance."

The new mall was now more pedestrian friendly, secure and better for community events.

"It's not just about retail ... it was to have a space where we could have everything from markets to food festivals to performances." Cr Bradbery said 11,000 pedestrians used the mall each day, while the CBD employed one-third of the Illawarra's workforce.

He said the council would now turn its attention to peripheral shopping centres, such as Corrimal, Dapto and Warrawong.

Meantime, Deputy Lord Mayor Chris Connor launched the City of Wollongong Giving Tree on November 12, helped by singing Wollongong Public School students and Santa.

Unwrapped gifts for children up to 16 can be left at the council building in Burelli Street and libraries until December 19.

They will be distributed to Anglicare and Vinnies.