Iconic shopping strip in Adelaide’s inner south to get its long-awaited facelift?

THE long-awaited upgrade of a premier shopping strip in Adelaide’s inner south is finally edging closer as hundreds of thousands of dollars is set aside to pay for a detailed design to revamp it.

A masterplan will be created to revamp King William Rd

• King William Rd traders concerned the retail strip could die
• Sturt Football Club readies to lodge plans for $4.6m revamp
• Pavers on King William Road to be ripped up
• The $600k plan to revamp front of Unley Shopping Centre

LONG-AWAITED upgrades of King William Rd and Unley Oval are edging closer, as Unley Council signals its commitment to finally deliver the multi-million dollar projects.

Unley plans to spend $600,000 to prepare detailed designs for revamps of its premier shopping strip and the home of Sturt Football Club as part of its 2017/18 budget.

A further $200,000 has been allocated to finalise long-considered plans for a $4.9 million upgrade of Goodwood Oval and Millswood Sports Complex.

King William Rd traders and the sporting clubs have welcomed the first major funding promises for the upgrades.

Unley Council has committed money to allow for a detailed design to overhaul King William Rd. Picture: Tait Schmaal.

They hope it will pave the way for work to start, years after the projects were unveiled.

Unley Mayor Lachlan Clyne said a revamp of King William Rd was “long overdue”.

“Councils generally renovate and refresh their mainstreets every 20 years; it’s been about 35 years for King William Rd,” Mr Clyne said.

“The road is ripe for an investment that will allow it to be the premier high-end shopping destination in SA.”

A council-commissioned study in 2014 recommended spending up to $18 million to rejuvenate the heart of the strip with wider footpaths and more spaces for outdoor dining and street parties.

King William Rd’s iconic pavers would also be ripped up and replaced under the long-term vision for precinct.

Unley plans to spend $600,000 to prepare detailed designs for revamps of its premier shopping strip and the home of Sturt Football Club as part of its 2017/18 budget.

Mr Clyne said the 2014 study would guide the new masterplan, but stressed “everything was on the table” to revitalise the mainstreet that had struggled in recent years with high vacancy rates and business turnover.

Flowers 152 shop manager Marlo Driscoll supported plans to upgrade King William Rd.

“The street feels so different at different times during the year because there are lots of businesses leaving, so we would like an upgrade to start as soon as possible,” Mrs Driscoll said.

Last week, the council also confirmed its support for a redevelopment of Unley Oval, agreeing to contribute a third of the costs of the $4.6 million project.

The Double Blues are expected in the coming weeks to lodge development plans for the development, which would include a boardroom and offices below the Jack Oatey Stand as well as new women’s and juniors’ changerooms below the Harry J McKay Stand.

A function room and Double Blues museum would also be part of the oval’s first upgrade since the 1970s.

Sturt general manager Sue Dewing said the club was lobbying both major political parties to commit funding to the project ahead of next year’s state election.

“We think it (the upgrade) is a necessity because the grandstands have not had any upgrades since 1976 — it’s long overdue,” Mrs Dewing said.

An artist’s impression of a revamped Unley Oval grandstand.

“And with the emergence of women’s football and Sturt’s desire to get a team in the SANFL (women’s league) for 2018, we see it as absolutely critical.”

The $200,000 to ensure work to upgrade clubrooms and improve parking and playgrounds at Goodwood Oval and Millswood Sports Complex is ready to start in 12 months has been warmly welcomed.

Goodwood Saints president Craig Scott was “stoked” with the council’s support for the plan, saying a revamp was desperately needed.

“The clubrooms have not had any work done since the 1960s and they are disgraceful, to be honest,” Mr Scott said.

Consultation on the draft budget is open until May 26 at unley.sa.gov.au