Standing in the arms of the Horseshoe Bridge atop the newly sunken rail line, then-premier Colin Barnett celebrated the start of major works on the $73.5 million bustling social hub that would take its place.
It was February 14, 2016, a fitting day to celebrate the long-awaited reunion of Northbridge and Perth’s city centre via a one-hectare pedestrian thoroughfare connecting William and Roe Streets.
Planning Minister John Carey alongside Nokturnl directors Drew Flanagan and Ross Drennan.Credit: Jesinta Burton
The jewel in the crown of the $360 million Northbridge transformation was Yagan Square, which comprised an outdoor amphitheatre and market hall set to boast fresh produce and more than a dozen small eateries.
“Perth City Link removes the barrier between the CBD and Northbridge for the first time in 100 years … thousands of local residents, tourists and city workers will visit and pass through the square each day,” Barnett told the media at the time.
But eight years on, Planning Minister John Carey pointed out that was all it ever became — a thoroughfare — and that was precisely the reason the commercial precinct failed.
“Look, it’s fair to say the design we inherited simply wasn’t engaging enough for the public and wasn’t opening up to the public — it effectively meant people walked straight past it,” he said.
The state government hopes a $14 million cash injection and revamp alongside hospitality gurus Nokturnl, the company behind Fremantle’s The Old Synagogue, will be enough to help the ailing precinct shed its reputation as Perth’s “white elephant”.
The new development, named ‘Stories’, has involved a two-year-long reconfiguration of the existing market hall to house nine bars and three restaurants over five storeys capable of hosting up to 2500 people.
The venues, which include the city centre’s largest beer garden, a rooftop function area, a hidden cocktail bar and a space for live music, are expected to open over the course of the next month and employ up to 300 people.
The state has contributed $8 million, just over half of which is being spent on the interior.
The rest of the cost is being borne by co-developer Nokturnl, which will hand the asset back to the state once it begins its 30-year tenancy deal.
WAtoday understands Nokturnl will be up for $100,000 in rent per month — meaning the state government’s additional investment in the hall should have paid for itself within five years.
Plans for a renewal of Perth’s Yagan Square have been revealed.Credit: WA government
Despite the negative publicity surrounding the Yagan Square “dead zone” and the anti-social behaviour it had attracted, Nokturnl directors Drew Flanagan and Ross Drennan said it was the precinct’s central location that drew them to the project.
And the pair, who led a tour of the new development on Wednesday, are positive the revamp will be enough to revitalise it.
So, what went wrong?
The precinct, named after a prominent Noongar leader, opened to much fanfare in March 2018.
At the time, then-premier Mark McGowan said he believed the Barnett-era project would become Perth’s new beating heart. Instead, it became a major problem for his government.
Food vendors began leaving the market hall in droves, with those indoors complaining that a lack of visibility and lower than anticipated foot traffic had left them with little choice.
And those issues were only exacerbated by the pandemic.
It also became a hotspot for anti-social behaviour, gaining the nickname ‘fight square’ and a mobile police booth offering around the clock security.
Planning Minister John Carey alongside Nokturnl directors Drew Flanagan and Ross Drennan.Credit: Jesinta Burton
By 2022, the state government had called on the industry to come forward with tender submissions and lead a major redevelopment of the empty market hall.
Nokturnl’s directors, the state government and planning professionals agree the primary issue was the market hall’s complete lack of visibility, as well as a lack of direct access.
How have they fixed it? And will the changes be enough?
Drennan said the company’s tender centred around activating the heart of the precinct and ensuring passersby knew what was actually there — and adding a rooftop bar.
Now, he says the hospitality hub is “pretty hard to miss”.
“You’ll see hundreds of people on the different levels, and we hope that curiosity will bring people in and keep drawing them back,” he said.
A crucial factor buoying visitation will be the foot traffic generated by the adjacent Edith Cowan University’s new city campus development when it opens its doors to between 8000 and 10,000 students in 2026.
Drennan believes that foot traffic will make a significant difference, as will the live events already in the pipeline.
“Obviously, there has been a lot of discussion around the existing challenges Yagan Square has had over recent years,” he said.
“But if you look around at the amount of activity happening in the area, the second the doors are open, and it’s being used, and the ECU is finished across the road, I think it’ll be a completely different space.”
The state government is at pains to remind everyone the development was the brainchild of its predecessor, but Carey is adamant the revamp the McGowan/Cook government has spearheaded will make it work.
ECU City will extend from Perth Busport to Yagan Square.
Carey defended the state government’s multi-million dollar spend on yet another project redo, which comes as the state prepares to “right a historic wrong” by aiding the transformation of the 20-year-old Perth Convention and Exhibition Centre and dragging it to the river.
And he said the fact Yagan Square was situated in a critical part of the city meant the additional investment was almost non-negotiable.
“The reality is that I can’t have it sitting here empty and not being used, we’re fixing it,” he said.
“When it opens, this will be bustling with people — something that wasn’t achieved previously.
“We see that this [redevelopment] is needed if we want to make Yagan Square work and Nokturnl have runs on the board… they are credible hospitality providers, and we have full confidence that this time, with the investment, with the redesign, we can make this successful.
“You are seeing investment right in the heart of the city... but I’m very confident that the redevelopment of Yagan Square will address some of the previous and current issues and bring a lot more people to the heart of the city.”
When asked about the City of Perth’s contribution to the project, Nokturnl director Drew Flanagan praised the council for helping to guide the team through the development approvals process.
But Carey was quick to point out it was being paid for out of the state’s coffers and ensure the city could not claim credit for the development’s progress, including its Lord Mayor-turned-political opponent Basil Zempilas.
“While the City of Perth claims credit for these types of projects, they are not actually making any financial contribution,” he said.
“So, to be very clear, it is the state government that is making the investment in the ECU campus and the redevelopment and addressing the community concerns regarding safety.”
The first of the new eateries, Alba, opened on Wednesday evening, with the remaining venues to be opened by May 6.
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