Knox Street Double Bay: Pedestrian plaza proposed by Woollahra council

Double Bay businesses and residents are so concerned with plans to pedestrianise Knox St they have joined forces to hire a private architect and produce their own alternative designs. Which do you prefer?

The fight is on, with dozens of business owners and passionate Double Bay locals joining forces to oppose grand plans to revitalise the Knox St by transforming part of the road into a permanent pedestrian plaza.

Cosmo Centre residents and Knox St business owners believe permanently closing a section of the strip will cause traffic and parking chaos, stifle trade and cause angst for elderly locals who will struggle with the relocation of their taxi rank.

Dozens of people have already joined the newly formed Double Bay Community Alliance to lobby council to reconsider plans to pedestrianise the street.

The Wentworth Courier was recently invited to a meeting of the alliance at Perron’s where many of the 40 attendees expressed concern the plans have been fast-tracked in order to meet the criteria for a $4.75 million state government grant which stipulates construction must be completed by the end of December.

However, a Woollahra Council spokesman has said the project had been in the pipeline for years and the concept designs were developed after extensive consultation with the community and, so far, the response had been overwhelmingly positive.

Woollahra council’s concept design.

Double Bay Community Alliance have commissioned their own alternative plans.

A bird’s eye view of the Double Bay Community Alliance concept.

Prominent buyers agent and former Double Bay Partnership board member Stuart Jones who was at the forefront of the push for the Palace Cinema carpark redevelopment, which never eventuated despite sustained community support, is against the council plans.

“I gave them Palace on a platter 15 years ago and it still hasn’t happened,” Mr Jones said.

“Now council, without any rigorous consultation, are planning to close down Knox St because it serves the purpose of a $5 million grant.”

Cosmo Centre owner Eduard Litver said while he welcomed the investment in Knox St, the council’s designs needed tweaking.

Mr Litver supports the group’s alternate proposal which would retain street parking but widen pedestrian paths by reducing traffic lanes from three to one.

The alternate plan also supports temporary bollards which could be erected to close the street during events.

“I very much support investment in Knox St – I think it’s great,” Mr Litver said.

“Double Bay does want new community spaces and widened pedestrian spaces but not at the cost of cutting off the connectability of Double Bay and losing desperately needed parking spaces.”

Cosmo Centre resident Elza Levin, 93, a well-known local whose daughter Judy is married to Westfield’s Steven Lowy, said she moved to the street six years ago as it was well set up to support her living independently.

“From a residents’ point of view, we need access to the building on Knox St,” Mrs Levin said.

“A lot of residents use those taxis because we don’t want to drive anymore. If I get dropped off at night after dinner now I’m going to have to walk alone in the dark.”

Alliance members rally on Knox Street.

A spokesman for Woollahra Council said pedestrianisation had been a priority for Double Bay for many years.

A proposal to transform a section of Knox St into a pedestrianised plaza was included in the Double Bay Centre Public Domain Strategy adopted by council in August 2016, and in 2019, council resolved to formulate plans for pedestrian-only precincts in the Double Bay commercial centre.

“In September 2020 the Double Bay Pedestrianisation Study was adopted by council, which resolved that projects identified in the study, including Knox St pedestrianisation, progress to design,” the spokesman said.

“The Knox St proposal was identified as fulfilling requirements for funding from the NSW Government’s Public Spaces Legacy Program and in February 2021, council approved a proposal for a funding application to the program.

“The current consultation is focused on concept designs and closes on 23 February, and includes both an online survey and in-person pop-up sessions in Guilfoyle Park, Double Bay, providing the community with an opportunity to discuss the plan with staff and expert consultants.

“This follows consultation in September and October 2021, in which we asked the community for their priorities and ideas for a future plaza, with 156 submissions received. This feedback was overwhelmingly positive, and was used to inform the concept designs which are currently on exhibition.”

The spokesman confirmed community notifications for each consultation have been delivered to residents and businesses via letterbox drop and email, with additional on-site signage, social media, e-newsletters, advertisements in local publications and signage at council chambers and libraries.

“While there may be an alternate proposal being promoted by the Double Bay Business Alliance that includes ideas to allow a one-way traffic flow, at the time of our initial consultation, we advised stakeholders that such a proposal would not meet the Public Spaces Legacy Program’s funding criteria,” the spokesman said.

“The Double Bay Pedestrianisation Study was provided to these stakeholders as part of this consultation process.

“After meeting with residents of the Cosmopolitan in October 2021, council took on board their feedback. As part of our proposal, services including a taxi rank remain on Knox St, however it will be located closer to New South Head Rd.

“Access for emergency vehicles and deliveries has been maintained, and an additional loading zone on Knox St has been added, which is an improvement on current conditions.

“Once the current community consultation is complete, suggested amendments to the proposal will be considered and a report will be prepared for council.”

REVEALED: THE PLANS TO REVITALISE DOUBLE BAY – February 10, 2022

Move over Kiaora Lane, there’s a new must visit precinct coming to Double Bay.

Woollahra Council has revealed stunning new artist impressions and details about the long planned Knox Street pedestrian plaza which were put together by leading global architects Aspect Studios following community consultation.

The newly-designed precinct will boast public tables, where people can eat food from home or work wirelessly, as well as include seating for nearby cafes and restaurants.

The leafy plaza will also have a pavilion to be used for community events.

Woollahra council’s concept design.

Knox St will lose 28 car spaces and the taxi zone will be relocated to the other side of Goldman Lane, which will also host two public drop and go spaces.

While there have been concerns about the planned removal of street parking between Goldman Lane and Bay St, others are rejoicing the move to reinvigorate the north side of New South Head Rd in the same way Kiaora Lane did for the southern end of the suburb.

Northern side Double Bay businesses lashed out in the wake of the Kiaora redevelopment citing huge drops in business as shoppers and diners were so enticed by the new precinct they were less likely to venture across the bustling New South Head Road.

Woollahra Council said alternate parking locations were not at capacity.

“While there will be 28 less parking spaces on Knox St, there is sufficient capacity nearby to accommodate local parking needs, including 916 spaces across the Cross Street Car Park, the Cosmopolitan Centre and Kiaora Place, with one-hour free parking at multiple sites,” a spokesman said.

The space is touted to be a relaxed community meeting place.

Residents have until February 23 to give feedback on the concept designs before are adopted by council.

Construction on the project, which was first floated five years ago, is to be completed by the end of the year to fulfil the requirements for the $4.75 million NSW Public Spaces Legacy Program grant which is funding the works.

Mayor Susan Wynne said the positives of the pedestrian plaza far outweigh the loss of parking spaces.

“This came first came up as a notice of motion by Double Bay councillors back in 2017 about how can we pedestrianise and engage with the community in areas not on the Kiaora side,” she said.

“This will add value to the biggest shopping precinct in Woollahra. We are seeing a fantastic resurgence in Double Bay.

“Three decades ago it was the place to go. It’s where everyone wanted to be. Double Bay had all the best shops and people travelled near and far to come here and now that’s all coming back.

“Since Covid, because people aren’t going to the city as much anymore we are seeing development applications coming in that are 100 per cent commercial.

Knox Street will soon be looking very different. Picture: Google Maps

“Those people might come in for lunch, sit there in the plaza and chat, they might see something in a shop window.”

To have your say, visit the pop-up information sessions at the Double Bay Markets on February 10 and at Guilfoyle Park on February 16 both between 11am and 2pm.

You can also fill in a council survey HERE