St Ives: first look at $12.5 million town centre upgrade

Business owners have had their say on major plans to upgrade one of the north shore’s key town centres, with one describing the current layout as a ‘dog’s breakfast’. See how the suburb is set to be reshaped:

New parks, cycleways, outdoor dining areas and a plan to move power lines underground are among features of a multimillion upgrade earmarked for the leafy upper north suburb of St Ives.

A masterplan released by Ku-ring-gai Council has outlined a string of major works to breathe new life into the retail precinct and entice shoppers into the area.

The proposed multimillion-dollar improvements would include major traffic changes, such as upgrading Memorial Ave with a shared path along the St Ives Village Green and the Stanley St retail strip, as well as improved bike links.

There would also be upgrades to Mona Vale Rd corridor with new traffic lights to align with possible redevelopment of St Ives Shopping Village.

Outdoor dining would be encouraged throughout the centre, while a new park would be added next to the Old School building.

A council report said the upgrade could boost economic activity in the town centre.

“Improved street environments and enabling increased outdoor dining will encourage residents and visitors to interact and linger around the retail core and eateries, on any day and night, activating the centres,” the report said.

“Improved public domain environments will also encourage walking and cycling by residents that could potentially increase community health and increase the chances of meeting and interacting with others in the community.”

Glenn Wright, manager of Craig Cook Natural Butcher, said upgrades to the town centre were overdue.

“We’re uniquely situated between Macquarie Park, Chatswood and Hornsby as major shopping hubs and don’t have any major department stores which takes a lot of the younger clientele we could be getting away from the area,” he said.

“It would be great to have what they have in Crows Nest with outdoor dining, and that element could make St Ives more appealing and attract a slightly younger crowd.

“It’s been decades since real works have been done and the logistics of traffic flow is definitely something that needs to be looked at – there are three bottlenecks coming out of the carpark and it’s mayhem.”

Ku-ring-gai Chamber of Commerce president Adrienne McLean supported the upgrade works, particularly on the congested Mona Vale Rd corridor.

“The local businesses had a setback with the clearway being put in on Mona Vale Rd and that’s caused some closures of business because it’s become too difficult for people to stop,” she said.

“It’s a long time since St Ives has been revitalised, it’s needed. The traffic layout to be perfectly honest is a dog’s breakfast and it does need looking at.”

St Ives Cyclery owner Dennis Torode said an uptake in the number of residents cycling warranted the proposed bike lanes.

“It’s what we need, particularly when the council wants more people out on pushbikes, but it’s also tricky given the road layouts – it would have to be balanced against taking away carparking spaces,” he said.

Ku-ring-gai Chamber of Commerce president Adrienne McLean said the upgrade was overdue.

Other features of the upgrade include new paving, street furniture, tree planting, upgrades to Rotary Park, an expansion of Bedes Forest Reserve, adjustments to carparking areas, and moving powerlines underground in selected streets.

Roads which would become one way-streets include Village Green Parade and a section of Rosedale Rd between Mona Vale Rd and Porters Lane.

A council report said the first project in the upgrade would be the expansion of Bedes Forest Reserve followed by streetscape works and park upgrades with the early works estimated to cost $12.5 million.

Community feedback is expected to open on the plan this year before a final decision is made by local councillors.