Bell St Mall update includes greenery more seats, improved lighting and community art

IT HAS taken one year but the long-awaited facelift for this Melbourne shopping strip has traders and patrons in a mood for celebrating.

Eid celebrations for end of Ramadan at the Bell Street Mall

THE Heidelberg West community is celebrating the result of an almost year-long refurbishment of Bell St Mall.

More than 500 people crowded the mall to welcome the completion of work on the activity area, as well as a community-wide celebration marking the end of the Muslim Ramadan festival.

The State Government and Banyule Council poured more than $300,000 into the work, which included adding planters around trees, more seats and plants, artificial grass and landscaping, improved lighting, a decked stage area and community art.

Centre manager Stavros Zikou said the upgrades were a long time coming but traders loved the vibrant result.

“The Bell St Mall is a very unique space and there are not very many malls around Melbourne,” Mr Zikou said.

“It is a different type of shopping centre and is a real community and meeting space.”

Eid celebrations for end of Ramadan at the Bell Street Mall. Picture: MADAALE

Mr Zikou said a large percentage of mall traders and shoppers were from East Africa.

“It has become almost like a cultural precinct similar to Lygon St,” he said.

“As much as it’s a shopping centre and not a playground, the renovations mean the children can play a game or kick a ball around.”

Mr Zikou said the Eid festival was one of many community celebrations held at the shopping centre throughout the year.

“We’re working towards having a market with our traders but also non-competing external traders.”

Banyule Mayor Craig Langdon said the feedback from the Bell St Mall Traders’ Association, shop owners and the community had been positive.

“The feedback from the traders’ association, and individual traders has been overwhelmingly positive, with people valuing the investment that has gone into making the mall a more colourful and vibrant place,” Cr Langdon said.

“The work took about three months, but the project started in August 2014 with a major community consultation exercise where over 140 people responded to a survey about the mall, and many more people attended one of three half-day sessions held at the mall.”