City of Ipswich Council’s Nicholas Street Precinct has been nationally recognised in the Property Council of Australia’s (PCA) Innovation and Excellence Awards, flagging a remarkable comeback after the city centre had declined to the point where the community felt it was unsafe to visit.
The Nicholas Street Precinct was crowned the country’s Best Social Infrastructure Development in the 2025 PCA awards, the latest in a series of accolades bestowed on the mixed-use precinct.
Designed by global practice Buchan, it combines civic, community, retail and entertainment functions to create a new destination that is a national benchmark for urban regeneration.
Reinvigorating business and drawing people back day and night, it’s a far cry from the deserted mall that at one point had shrunk to a handful of retailers and no night-time activity.
Ipswich Mayor, Teresa Harding says the Nicholas Street Precinct has reinstated the city’s civic heart.
“Ipswich residents have watched on eagerly as their city-centre has undergone a once-in- a-generation transformation, from an old and derelict mall to the new city heart we see before us today. We are proud to say the Nicholas Street Precinct is the jewel in our crown, and the beating heart of Ipswich that our community truly deserves,” said the Mayor.
The reinvented precinct includes the 1 Nicholas Street council administration building, two libraries – including Australia’s first standalone children’s library – and Tulmur Place, a landscaped civic plaza that hosts over 50 free public events annually.
The Council was put under an administrator and councillors dismissed in 2018 after allegations of corrupt conduct. The delivery of the project has played a significant part in rebuilding community trust in council, as well as rebuilding the inner-city precinct, Council said in a statement.
It says public investment was the catalyst needed to entice private investment back. The Council set the ball rolling by relocating its 800-plus workforce into the new administration building as the catalyst stage of the ambitious project. Since then, 83 new businesses have opened alongside the Nicholas Street retail tenancies, leveraging public and private activities to amplify value for the entire community.
Buchan principal and precinct sector lead, Phil Schoutrop says returning the city to the community was key.
“We restructured the town centre to put people before cars and make the Nicholas Street Precinct a great place to spend time,” Mr Schoutrop says.
“Parking was moved underground, and streets were reconfigured to prioritise pedestrians, shade and gathering.”
Alongside the libraries, there are shaded landscapes, water play areas, Indigenous storytelling elements, and a program of free events across the year that includes a successful monthly market.
“Nicholas Street had to get the balance right so that everyone feels welcome. It’s a place people can go without needing to spend money. The retail element becomes amenity rather than being the primary focus, and benefits from the foot traffic,” said Mr Schoutrop.
“New retail, dining, and leisure anchors are curated to complement rather than compete with suburban centres.”
Reconnecting with the city’s historic grid and celebrating its heritage buildings, the Nicholas Street spine now stitches together the riverfront, transit hubs and the broader city into a walkable whole.
“The precinct acts as the glue that holds the city together,” says Mr Schoutrop.
James Hepburn is Precinct Director for Nicholas Street. He says it has been humbling to watch the precinct evolve and see the social and economic uplift it has generated.
“It’s rare for a council to be able to deliver such a successful project alone, especially off the back of a difficult past,” said Mr Hepburn.
“When value is tied to regional benefit, it frees up investment to go into designing experiences. Centring the development’s infrastructure and offer on people and their experience has made a strong social impact that, in turn, has boosted economic activity, in particular localised spend.
“We are still guided by the legacy of interim administrator Greg Chemello’s plan, which is a replicable model for future developments.”
The Nicholas Street redevelopment is projected to generate $108.49 million in new CBD operating output from 2024, with a total economic contribution of $1.25 billion to regional output and $676.41 million in value-added by 2032.
Precinct visitation has grown by approximately 30% annually since reopening, with this year’s forecast on track for the latest 12-month visitation figures at almost two million and growing, up from just 22,000 at its lowest ebb.
