Alice Springs: Multimillion dollar renewal plan could see outdoor cinema, food trucks, water play
Alice Springs Town Council has released concept designs for three urban renewal precincts in the struggling town centre, which could see new basketball courts, art walks, an outdoor cinema and food truck park.
Alice Springs
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Alice Springs Town Council has released concept designs for three urban renewal precincts in its struggling town centre, which could see the addition of new basketball courts, art walks, an outdoor cinema and food truck park.
The ‘Regenerating the Alice Town Centre’ plan, which has been in the works since 2022, would see significant investment in three precincts: Leichhardt Tce between Gregory and Wills terraces, Todd Mall, and Hartley St car park and public open space.
On Friday, the council released concept designs for the three precincts, seeking public input on which design is favoured for each precinct.
Leichhardt Tce could see the addition of a new entry plaza near the Gregory Terrace roundabout, a fenced basketball half court, a river trail linking to the botanic gardens, a food truck park with retractable bollards, a bike hub with repair station, and a variety of new plazas and seating areas.
This would come at an estimated cost of $3m, according to the report.
This was the only concept put forward for Leichhardt Tce, unlike Todd Mall and Hartley St, which have multiple concept designs.
The options for Todd Mall range in intervention levels, from least (streetscape renewal) to most (shared street).
The streetscape renewal proposal would see the retention of most existing trees in the mall, alongside new seating, shaded areas, outdoor dining, and the replacement of the existing paving with “contemporary elongated clay bricks”.
This option would cost an estimated $5.3m and would bring “some increase in foot traffic,” although it is not expected to “add any new things to do in the mall”.
Option two would see the creation of an ‘art walk’ featuring an overhead shade structure dotted with solid and transparent coloured cells that would cast a kaleidoscope of colours onto the mall.
This option has been costed at an estimated $4.2m and would deliver an “art and culture experience unique to Alice Springs”.
The third, most controversial and dearest proposal, costing an estimated $6.1m, is to open Todd Mall up to vehicular traffic.
This option would feature new traffic signals on Gregory Tce, a variety of new shade structure, seating areas, loading spaces and 90-degree on-street parking.
Chicanes would be installed to keep vehicular traffic at 10km/h.
This proposal would have the benefit of improved access to shops in the mall and the “casual surveillance” that vehicular traffic brings to the crime-plagued mall, but introduces “vehicle/ pedestrian conflict”.
A petition against this option, started by Sugar & Spice Children’s Boutique owner Sophia Marriott, has garnered more than 1300 signatures.
The final precinct slated for renewal is Hartley St.
The two options include the creation of a simple arbour path linking Todd Mall and Hartley St ($1.8m), or an arbour path with the addition of a basketball half court, water play jets, trampolines, an outdoor cinema, climbing play equipment and a cafe kiosk ($3.5m).
The new recreation area would either be located beside or in front of the Flynn Memorial Uniting Church.
The concept design report also canvasses a variety of upgrades to the Hartley St car park, ranging in cost from $6m to $27.4m.
The most expensive option would see the construction of a multistorey carpark that would add 177 additional spaces.
Consultation on the concept designs is open until March 22, with the designs expected to be finalised by May.
The NT News previously reported the budget of the ‘Regenerating the Alice Town Centre’ plan was expected to be in the vicinity of $18–$23m.
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