A Wollongong CBD laneway could be given a new lease on life, with a $6 million makeover for an existing commercial and retail building to be considered by the council.
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Documents lodged by Elton Consulting reveal plans to make a series of internal and external changes – including an extra storey – to an existing building between Burelli Street and Simpson Place.
The laneway – which connects Burelli Street to Kembla Street and runs parallel to Crown Street Mall – would be “activated” by a new facade and windows, as well as a new building entrance.
The development would also have 68 car spaces and more than 40 bike parking facilities, including eight publicly accessible bike spaces in the lane. A proposed second storey would provide more than 2200 square metres of commercial space with open plan offices.
The building, located between St Andrews Presbyterian Church and the Events Cinema multiplex and opposite Burelli Street Woolworths, covers more than 2000 square metres and is presently made up of six land parcels.
The developers have proposed to consolidate the lots into one site “for administrative purposes”.
According to the documents now on public exhibition with Wollongong City Council, non-reflective windows and improved ground level access will improve surveillance in the under-used area.
“The proposal offers the opportunity to activate Simpson Place, an existing underutilised lane which is currently dominated by off street car parking fronting onto the lane,” the application says.
“The redevelopment of the site also offers the opportunity to improve the surveillance of the lane. The improvement of an existing building on Simpson Place may stimulate renewal in the area and encourage further activation of Simpson Lane.”
Street level activation has been a key consideration in Wollongong council’s “Public Spaces, Public Life” strategy, which is based-around urban planning principles from Gehl Architects.
The Copenhagen firm’s philosophy is based on the concept of the “human scale”: that is, successful, lively cities have lots of things happening at a human, ground floor level.
It aims to transform Wollongong’s city centre through long term planning and some short-term quick wins, and has highlighted Burelli Street’s inactive streetscape “which is unpleasant to look at and encourages people to hurry by”.
The plans to makeover 60 Burelli Street are on exhibition until May 25.