The ‘real centre of town’ gets a $1.2 million upgrade

A business owner in the area says the upgrade will allow them to double their capacity.

Gladstone City Plaza will undergo redevelopment over the next six months. Pictured: Geordie Lawrie from G&D Lawrie Builders, Steve Marsten from Gladstone City Plaza Body Corporate, Gladstone Region Mayor Matt Burnett and Amanda Smedley from GHD Project Managers.

IN A bid to make Gladstone City Plaza "the real centre of town", an "exciting" redevelopment is expected to begin in coming days.

The upgrade, worth about $1.2 million, is hoped to "reinvigorate the city square", Steve Marsten said.

Mr Marsten, a Gladstone City Plaza Body Corporate project committee member, said the upgrade would improve safety due to the removal of the red brick pavers.

Ground floor tenants will also benefit because the changes will mean the stores' now-sloped outdoor area will be flattened out.

Cotton Mill Cafe owner Gary Warburton said he was excited about the redevelopment that would enable them to "double (their) capacity".

"We have no outdoor seating at the minute because we are on a slope, (now) we are actually going to get a flat area," Mr Warburton said.

"It's going to be a more pleasant place to sit for people which will enable us to do weekend trading for breakfast."

Mr Warburton said he was going to use that time to carry out his own renovations at the cafe by putting in windows to "open it right up".

"Once it's done it's going to be a lot more presentable place, modernised," he said.

Mr Marsten said the upgrade gave the area potential to become a "great foodie precinct" in the future.

As part of the redevelopment, the red brick pavers will be replaced with textured concrete and lawns and gardens will be put in.

Mr Marsten said the lawns and gardens would give the area something "new" and "fresh". "It's just a different place that currently Gladstone doesn't have," he said.

There will also be more seating, timber arbours, shady trees, ramp access and stainless steel handrails.

The redevelopment contract was awarded to G&D Lawrie Builders, who will use Gladstone subcontractors and suppliers.

The seven carparks directly in front of the forecourt at 100 Goondoon St will be closed off for the majority of the construction period, expected to end in April.

All shops and businesses will remain open.

Traffic controllers at the William St end of Goondoon St will be co-ordinating the movement of trucks on site.

Gladstone City Plaza Body Corporate had been consulting with Gladstone Regional Council and GHD Project Managers since 2016 to design the forecourt upgrade.

In the 2019/20 Budget, the council allocated about $1.5m for the upgrade to take place.

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