Manly town centre: Draft plan to change the look of the CBD to attract more visitors
A wide-ranging plan to revolutionise Manly town centre has been unveiled – in a bid to attract more visitors to the seaside tourist hub and make it more liveable for locals.
Manly
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Blueprints to make the Manly town centre more attractive to visitors – and more liveable for locals – is set to be released by Northern Beaches Council.
The draft “Manly Place Plan” will focus on updating and redesigning the seaside suburb’s “key” locations, including The Corso, in an effort to revitalise the popular tourist hub.
There will be a focus on enhancing the “night-time economy”; making the most of the CBD’s historic laneways and arcades and creating special “gateway” areas for visitors.
In a foreword to the draft plan, to be voted on at Tuesday night’s council meeting, Mayor Sue Heins wrote that it aimed to “capture the things people love and value most about the area”.
Council staff said the draft plan was developed to “guide how we want Manly to evolve in the future”.
Council staff confirmed that the plan would not lead to an increase in homes or more floor space for businesses.
It was drawn up after “close consultation with the community” including the Manly Business Chamber, Youth Advisory Group, resident associations, businesses and Manly Ward councillors.
The four “key places” identified in the plan are The Corso, Sydney Rd, Pittwater Rd and the Laneways — Market Place, Rialto Lane, Henrietta Lane, Central Ave and the combined Short Street Plaza/Short St.
It suggested that a trial of late trading hours, from 10pm to 6am, would be allowed for some restaurants and bars, but would not include Manly’s pubs.
In 2022/23, $337 million was spent in Manly between 6pm to 6am, on eating and drinking, entertainment, and night-life and 27pc of all jobs in the Manly CBD are associated with this night-time economy.
The draft plan pointed out that 2.8 million people visited Manly in 2019.
There is a proposal to allow outdoor dining options on The Corso, plant more trees to provide shade and provide an all-weather performance space at the eastern end, near the ocean beach.
The western end of the The Corso, around Manly Town Hall, would be become “Manly’s cultural home where visitors can … rush to theatres, cinemas and music venues”.
The plans wants to build on the “eat street character” of the precinct around the intersection of Sydney Rd and Belgrave St.
A redesign of a section of Pittwater Rd would encourage more outdoor dining and could include a reduced speed limit, safer pedestrian crossings, mores trees and the planting of “raingardens”.
Planners would explore the installation of “gateway features” welcoming visitors at Manly Wharf as well as the intersection of Sydney Rd and Belgrave St, and the junction of Pittwater Rd and Carlton St with new large trees and widened footpaths.
There are proposals for continuous awnings in Market Place to attract more visitors as well removing the existing outdoor fire stairs outside Manly Library and planting a large jacaranda tree.
To read the “My Place: Manly” plan, which goes on display for six weeks, click here.
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