Sutherland Shire Council says the revitalisation of Cronulla mall has begun, with families flocking to the new children’s playground and an outdoor dining precinct due to open in six months.
The projects have come at the expense of the Cronulla Women’s Rest Centre, which was controversially demolished in August.
The playground at the top of the mall was installed to compensate for the removal of the pirate ship playground in the Ocean Grove “mini mall”, which is being upgraded.
Mayor Carmelo Pesce said the new children’s play facility had proved a huge success.
“Every day it is packed by families – children, parents, grandparents, prams everywhere,” he said.
“A shopkeeper told me, ‘We have never seen so many people up this end of the mall’.”
A council spokesman said the facility would “continue as the play space in the mall while the vision of the Draft Cronulla Town Centre Public Domain Masterplan is realised over the next 10 years”.
The spokesman said public consultation on the draft masterplan closed at the end of September, with 119 surveys completed.
Every day it is packed by families – children, parents, grandparents, prams everywhere.
- Mayor Carmelo Pesce
While the mall upgrade is a long-term project, the council made the upgrade of Ocean Grove a priority, to be carried out in conjunction with the redevelopment of the former Commonwealth Bank building.
Both projects are due for completion in April, 2018.
The bank building development will include new restaurants facing Ocean Grove.
A council report said the Ocean Grove upgrade would “expand the eat street precinct” and “create a new destination for outdoor dining”.
The upgrade would be “a modern and sophisticated design”, which would be better aesthetically as well as an improvement for pedestrian access and safety.
Existing shade structures on the northern side would be removed.
The report said there would be “new lighting and audio visual abilities with multi-function poles for sound, light configuration and future smart connector technology”.
“New public seating areas will be provided under mature palm tree plantings,” the report said.
