Civic Cultural PrecinctDiscussion Paper

Background:

In November 2015 an informal community survey was conducted to hear the community’s ideas for what they would like to see developed at the Wittenoom Street Car Park (South’s Car Park). A working group was then formed comprising key stakeholders from the SWDC, developers, real estate agencies, and construction and retail industries to develop a vision for a civic and cultural precinct.

The working group identified a perceived lack of car parking within the

CBD as the key issue impacting upon the viability of existing businesses as well as creating an impediment to new development.

The development of a creatively designed decked car park as part of a civic and cultural precinct would provide a long-term parking solution for the CBD, as well as providing parking for those making use of the activated community space to be created through the precinct.

The project is in line with the Council’s adopted Creative City Strategy.

The creation of a Civil and Cultural Precinct will increase social and economic vibrancy of Bunbury’s CBD and provide pedestrian friendly linkages.

The Precinct aims to:

• Increase social and economic vibrancy in the CBD

• Activate community spaces

• Provide a pedestrian friendly east-west connection between the beach and Inlet, and a north-south connection between Stirling Street and the Waterfront

• Provide a long-term parking solution

• Encourage development and new business through onsite car parking policy changes

The project area encompasses:• Council Administration• Bunbury Regional Art

Galleries (BRAG)• Wittenoom Street Car Park

(South’s Car Park)• Police Station

4 Stephen Street, Bunbury WA 6230 - PO Box 21 Bunbury WA 6231 T: (08) 9792 7000 TTY: 13 36 77 F: (08) 9792 7184 E: records@bunbury.wa.gov.au W: www.bunbury.wa.gov.au

The Civic and Cultural Precinct comprises three discreet projects:1. Wittenoom Street Pedestrian Connection;2. Gallery Square; 3. Multi-Level Car Park.

GALLERY SQUARE

Dandenong Civic Centre

The existing car park adjoining BRAG is to be transformed into an activated community space linking both BRAG and the Wittenoom Street Pedestrian Connection.

This area will provide opportunities for the increased passive recreation space in the CBD with a focus on the arts and cultural aspects of the precinct.

Gallery Square will provide much needed space for inner city events such as markets, street performances, pop-up shops and other community and business opportunities.

WITTENOOM STREET PEDESTRIAN CONNECTION

In order to maximise the available open space for community purposes there is a need to close the road between the existing car park and the Bunbury Regional Art Gallery (BRAG). See diagram to the right.

The closure of this portion of the road provides an opportunity to activate what is currently an underutilised section of garden directly in front of the heritage listed BRAG.

By integrating the closed section of road with the existing garden area there is an opportunity to run community events and maintain an activated community area.

This area could also be used to showcase public sculptures and street art directly linked to the Gallery. The closed street area will contain shaded areas with seating, trees and gardens along with paved areas suitable for outdoor events.

The closure of this section of Wittenoom Street would result in a requirement to change the traffic flows around other sections of the CBD including potential one way sections along Prinsep Street and Wellington Street.

MULTI-LEVEL CAR PARK

The development of the car park is an essential component of the civic cultural precinct and creates not only parking for the activation of the area, but importantly provides additional parking for existing and future businesses across the CBD.

South’s Car Park services the CBD with about 100 bays in its current configuration, and requires ongoing repairs.

The redevelopment of the site will focus on parking with an initial development of at least four decks, at 75 to 80 bays per deck. It will be designed to allow additional decks to be constructed as demand increases. There is also the possibility to include street level commercial space.

This site is ideally located to service the majority of the CBD easily and with a potential change in focus around car parking policy relating to development applications, it would provide the catalyst for new development.

It is proposed that fees associated with the parking would be as follows, however, would be subject to adoption by Council.• Free public parking (time

specific)• Paid parking for long term

private vehicles, charged at a higher rate than the current on street parking.

• Gradual increase in on-street parking fees as an incentive to use multi-level car park.

Car Park in Bordeaux, France An example of an artistic car park exterior

FUNDING OPTIONS

Preliminary estimates for the entire project are in the order of $12m and funding will need to be obtained. A rate increase is not considered appropriate to fund this project, nor are proceeds of land sales considered viable due to project timings.

Grants are not usually available for car parks, however funding from the State and Federal Government of up to $5m would be sought for the civic and cultural precinct components excluding the car park.

Funding of about $1.7m is available for use from the parking reserve and will partially fund the capital costs associated with the parking facilities. Council would be required to borrow approximately $6.5m, with repayments being made from parking revenue and developer contributions as cash-in-lieu.