Waverley Council is preparing for a six-month trial that will see Bondi’s busy Hall Street transformed into a pedestrian-friendly space with outdoor dining, street gardens and creative lighting.
Council received a $500,000 grant through the NSW Government’s Streets as Shared Spaces program to revitalise the popular beachside shopping strip between Gould Street and Glenayr Avenue by introducing a range of proposed measures including:
- dedicated outdoor dining spaces on both sides of the street;
- introduction of a one-way street (between Gould and O’Brien) with no loss of parking;
- introduction of a new plaza space with more greenery;
- improved signage and lighting to make the space accessible for day and night-time trading;
- widened footpaths.
Mayor of Waverley, Paula Masselos, said the Council was aiming to make Hall Street an even more enjoyable place to enjoy, visit and do business during the area’s pandemic recovery.
“Our team is continuing to meet with local shop owners on ways we can raise the potential of Hall Street and make it a destination for families and visitors to stop a while on their way to and from the beach,” Mayor Masselos said.
“The project will revitalise the area with a range of measures to activate the six ways intersection of Cox Avenue, Hall Street, O’Brien Street and Glenayr Avenue, home to some of Sydney’s best cafes, restaurants and boutiques.”
The Hall Street upgrade will be piloted for six months, commencing in spring, and Council says it will spend the next few weeks talking to Hall Street businesses, neighbouring businesses and residents about the proposed changes.
The Mayor says the feedback will help inform a range of proposed temporary measures in the trial.
“There will be extensive community engagement throughout the pilot and depending on the feedback gathered from businesses and the community, some measures may end up becoming permanent,” she said.
Streets as Shared Spaces provides funding for Sydney councils to test and pilot new and innovative ideas that temporarily adapt streets as safe, shared public spaces for communities.
