Chinatown Mall To Stay Open During Upgrade
09 April, 2009
Chinatown Mall’s $8 million redevelopment will be supported by a Brisbane City Council marketing campaign, aimed at encouraging people to visit during construction.
Walter Taylor Ward Councillor and Economic Development Chairman Jane Prentice said the extensive redevelopment, which starts next week, had been fast-tracked to ensure it would be ready in time for the Valley Fiesta in September.
Australian construction firm ADCO has been appointed to bring to life plans for a more open and inviting space, designed to encourage people to visit and enjoy its many dining and cultural experiences. They met with traders today to discuss arrangements during construction.
“We have fast-tracked construction time to about five months to minimise the impact on traders,” Cr Prentice said.
“In the meantime, we’ll be letting people know that the Chinatown Mall is open for business throughout the construction process.”
Cr Prentice said construction would be carried out with a balance of day and night works to minimise disruption to businesses and reduce the overall construction timeframe.
“During the construction period, Council will waive all outdoor dining fees for Chinatown Mall’s restaurants and while there will be some amenity impacts, we can guarantee customer access to all Chinatown businesses,” she said.
“As with any construction work, it will be a case of short term pain for long term gain.”
Council has also installed gold ‘Chinatown’ logos on select bus stops and other directional signage to help drive more local tourism through the area.
“Once the Mall is completed, CBD workers in particular could consider Chinatown as an alternative location for lunch dates and after-work activities,” Cr Prentice said.
Council is conducting weekly one-on-one visits with local businesses and will continue to do so throughout the construction period to ensure any concerns they have are addressed.
The new look mall was designed by architects from Brisbane’s sister city Shenzhen in southern China and adheres to traditional Feng Shui principles.
It will be split into three terraced zones – the Wickham St Zone (incorporating the Qin and Hang Dynasties), the Central Event and Dining Zone (incorporating the Tang and Song Dynasties) and the Ann St Zone (incorporating the Ming and Qing Dynasties), and have been designed to prevent good luck from running out into Wickham St.
[Ends] April 9, 2009
