Work has commenced to bring Charlestown’s Pearson Street Mall into the 21st century.
A $2.8 million upgrade to the popular thoroughfare kicked off this week and Lake Macquarie Mayor Kay Fraser said the redevelopment would provide a boost to retail and commercial opportunities in the precinct.
“The mall is a gateway to our City’s largest retail precinct,” Cr Fraser said.
“The modernisation of this area will reinvent the space, transforming it into a hub for the Charlestown community.”
Cr Fraser added that the upgrade would also allow for events, live music and food trucks.
“This is an exciting project for our City and I look forward to seeing this area re-energised and re-purposed,” she said.
The project also includes a range of Smart Cities ‘whizbangery’ such as smart bins, environmental sensors, Wi-Fi, digital signage, and creative lighting designed by John Fish Studio.
New street lighting, landscaping, an upgrade at the intersection of Ridley and Pearson Streets, as well as custom-made street furniture designed by Joe Haig from Codewise, also feature in the redevelopment.
Lake Mac Council’s assests management head Brendan Callendar said that as well as providing a more pedestrian-friendly precinct, thanks to the the replacement of existing pavement, the area’s flora will also get some love.
“We’ll also be replacing trees in the mall with mature specimens more suited tor the local environment and less likely to cause root damage,” he said.
The work is expected to be completed by early next year and if you’re looking for more information on the project, head here.
