Mary Street Plaza - Gympie Council · MARY stReet pLAZA 6 intRoDUCtion the proposed Mary street...

Mary Street Plaza ConCept Design

DRAFT Mary Street Plaza Concept Plan

prepared for gympie Regional Council By tract Consultantsproject number 0715-0579-00

Rev Issue Description Date Prepared by Reviewed by NotesA preliminary Draft Report for

comments3 May 2016 Amy grey, project Manager

Helen Reilly, Urban Designertaneile nixon, Landscape Architect

Mark Fuller, project Director issued for Council Review

B presentation to internal stakeholders

16 May 2016 Amy grey, project Managertaneile nixon, Landscape Architect

Mark Fuller, project Director issued for discussion with internal stakeholders

C Draft Report for presentation at Council Workshop

28 september 2016 Amy grey, project Managertaneile nixon, Landscape Architect

Mark Fuller, project Director issued for Council Workshop review

ContentS01 INTRODUCTION ... 4

project scope ... 5project process ... 5site Location ... 6

02 SITE ANALYSIS ... 7Regional Context ... 8Local Context ... 9site Features ... 19

03 OPPORTUNITIES AND CONSTRAINTS ... 21

04 DESIGN PRINCIPLES AND STRATEGIES ... 28principles ... 29strategies ... 30

06 DESIGN CONCEPT ... 31Concept Context Diagram ... 32Concept plan ... 33Concept sketches ... 34Concept Analysis ... 35

07 MATERIALS PALETTES ... 36

08 APPENDICIES ... 50Appendix A: Draft Design options ... 50Appendix B: Cost estimate ... 58

01

INTRODUCTION

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INTRO

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inception and set-Up

Context and Analysis and preliminary stakeholder engagement

Draft Concept Design and indicative Costings

Councillor presentation and public Display

Review submissions and Amended Concept plan

Councillor presentation for endorsement

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Project Scope Project Process

the Vision has been established by the gympie Regional Council Revitisation strategy 2013/2014.

Mary Street Plaza will be the primary community civic space within the Gympie Town Centre. The plaza would be a predominantly open air pedestrian space incorporating a variety of community infrastructure elements such as flexible use paved space, lawn space, public art and water features. Lighting, including decorative lighting, would be provided to facilitate public safety and to activate and make the plaza an attractive space in the evenings. Shade trees and shade pavilions would be incorporated to create a comfortable microclimate and provide an appropriate level of weather protection. The space would be open to the public at all hours and would be activated by regular community events, pedestrian movements through the space and by commercial activities. Commercial activation could be provided by suitable uses operating from the Royal Hotel premises and by commercial kiosks built into the plaza. The plaza would be designed to be fully accessible to all.

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the proposed Mary street plaza is located on the southern side of Mary street near the corner of Monkland street, in the heart of the gympie town Centre which extends along Mary street between Channon street and Lawrence street. it is bordered by the Royal Hotel, Mary street, Memorial Lane and Reef street.

the proximity and current use of Memorial Lane a public thoroughfare and open space corridor makes it an important consideration for the ultimate design and use of the Mary street pedestrian plaza as part of the broader public realm strategy for gympie.

the Mary st plaza site is approximately 2, 693 sqm and 3, 248 sqm including all of the adjacent Memorial Lane. the dimensions of the Mary street plaza are 49m wide and 62m long including Memorial Lane.

the site is currently accessible by both Mary street and Reef street which both travel as one-way streets and in the broader context, via the Bruce Highway entry and exit and other key roads.

south of the proposed Mary street pedestrian plaza are other important areas of the town, including the town’s only major parkland areas being Memorial park and nelson Reserve, and the Mary River.

Site location

Skate & Basketball

Stage

Magistrates Court/Clock Tower

Goldfields Plaza

Mary St

Channon St

Nash St

Mellor S

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Lawrence St

Reef St

Bruce Hwy

River Rd

Mon

klan

d St

Jaycee Wy

Pool & Recreation

Bandstand & Recreation

Memorial LaneGympie Market Place

Public Carpark

GRC office

Council office Regional Art Gallery

Public Carpark

Public walkway

Regional library

GRC Community Services

Town Hall

Civic Centre

Gympie Central School

EXISTING SURROUNDING LAND USE

Future Transit Facility

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Site analySiS SUMMary

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LEGEND

gympie

Destinations

Highways

Major Roads

Railway

Heritage rail journey

Future rail trail

national parks

Major nature reserves

gympie Region festivals and attractions

gympie outdoor Cinemas

Heritage trail stops

gympie is a town of 50,000 residents (as of 2011) located on the Bruce Highway, 150km north of Brisbane (or 2 hrs drive) and in close proximity to the sunshine Coast, roughly an hour drive from Maroochydore and noosa.

the gympie region is well known for its novelty and music festivals which are held outside of the town of gympie, attracting thousands of visitors to the region each year to stay and spend money in the rural towns. the pumpkin Festival held annually in goomeri, attracts more than 14,000 people each year, and the gympie Music Muster held in Amamoor south of gympie attracts more than 20,000 people.

in comparison, other popular destinations in gympie include Rainbow Beach and tin Can Bay which offer coastal and nature park attractions.

the town of gympie is well positioned to capitalise on a variety of regional tourism opportunities, including future canoeing and trails along the Mary River starting from ‘the Weir’ near the gympie CBD and rail trails for cycling tourism north-west of gympie. Within 1km of the gympie town centre is the gympie railway station which provides heritage railway journeys through the Mary Valley. gympie is also a stopping location off the Bruce Highway as part of longer journeys by drivers and bus charters through Queensland.

throughout the broader region, there exists a number of scenic tourist drives which attract tourists such as the Blackall Range connecting the sunshine Coast hinterland villages of Maleny and Montville and Wide Bay Burnett Food and Wine trails. Rural towns such as Maleny and Montville have established a strong reputation and tourism base capitalising on their unique village character.

Like these rural towns, gympie is steeped in history and heritage character. this combined with the many other offerings in the town and the region, make gympie a competitive tourist destination for day trips and a must-see stop-over/rest destination as part of longer journeys.

regional Context: attractions

EXISTING REGIONAL ATTRACTIONS

REGIONAL ANALYSIS

55 minute driveto goomeri

50 minute drive toRainbow Beach

1 hour drive to noosa

1 hour drive to sunshine Coast

2 hour drive to Brisbane

1.5 hour drive to Hervey Bay

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the gympie town Centre is defined as the principal Centre Zone from the gympie planning scheme and is located along both sides of Mary street between Channon street and Lawrence street.

the town centre of gympie is characterised by long narrow lots with buildings predominantly addressing Mary street.

the gympie town Centre is surrounded by predominantly District Centre with Community purposes concentrated at both ends of Mary street.

the major parklands in gympie are nelson Reserve and Memorial park, with Memorial Lane identified as an open space linkage to Mary street. these parklands are surrounded by areas zoned as principal and District Centre uses., with limited areas of solely residential land uses in the immediate proximity of the town centre.

of the 300 businesses in the town Centre, the primary business types were identified in the gympie town Centre Branding and Marketing strategy in 2014 comprised of:

■ Retail 32% ■ professional services 30% ■ Vacant 18% ■ Dining/ entertainment 9% ■ Community uses 8%; and ■ Residential uses 3%.

in this report, 46 tenancies in the town centre were identified as vacant in 2014.

the town centre is also characterised by a small number of existing laneways, including Memorial Lane, which provide pedestrian connections through or adjacent to land zoned as Community Use or open space, often providing pedestrian access to the rear of buildings in the town centre to off-street parking areas.

local Context: Surrounding land Use

LOCAL CONTEXT ANALYSIS

Skate & Basketball

Stage

DRAFT -

FOR DISCUSSION

Magistrates Court/Clock Tower

B

A

Goldfields Plaza

Mary St

Channon St

Nash St

Mellor S

t

Lawrence St

Reef St

Bruce Hwy

River Rd

Mon

klan

d St

Jaycee Wy

Pool & Recreation

Bandstand & Recreation


Public Carpark

GRC office

Council office Regional Art Gallery

Public Carpark

Public walkway

Regional library

GRC Community Services

Town Hall

Civic Centre

Gympie Central SchoolLEGEND

proposed Mary st plaza (subject site)

proposed transit Facility

planning scheme Zoning

principal Centre

District Centre

open space

Community purposes

Residential Areas

Laneways

A

B

EXISTING SURROUNDING LAND USE30 60 150m0

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gympie town has a significant number and mix of state and Local heritage sites, with many sites focussed along the Mary street town centre. the town has a strong history of gold mining, established in the 1860s.

the proposed Mary st plaza adjoins local and state heritage sites. to the west of the proposed Mary st plaza, the Royal Hotel is of Local Heritage significance and to the east, the Widgee and gympie War Memorial gates are of state heritage.

to the south, the proposed Mary st plaza overlooks the state Heritage Listed Memorial park which contains a number of recognised memorials and buildings, including the Bandstand, Brickworks and Fernery and the architectural character and design of the park.

the Memorial gates are recognised as part of Memorial park and the original gateway and community access to Memorial park as part of commemorations to those lost in the First World War and Boer War. the gates were built in 1919 and Memorial park constructed in 1921 before gold mining ceased in the town. the connection to the park and its history has been maintained through the dedication of Memorial Lane as public open space and additions over the years to commemorative plaques along each side of the laneway walls.

Many heritage buildings within gympie have been re-used for modern day uses and like Memorial park and Memorial Lane, form part of a heritage trail walk. the abundance of heritage character, together with significant vegetation focussed along Mary street and the major parklands gives a green leafy heritage character to the town.

local Context: Heritage and Character

Memorial ParkThe Royal Hotel Gympie & Widgee War Memorial GatesGympie & Widgee War Memorial Gates and Billy’s Hotel

LEGEND

proposed Mary st plaza

Heritage Character

state significance

Local significance

neighbourhood character

existing trees visible from street

(various sizes)

existing trees within lots

palm trees generally

EXISTING HERITAGE AND CHARACTER

Memorial park, 1921

gympie Courthouse, 1902

gympie Courthouse & Land office, 1876

gympie school of Arts, 1904

tozer Building, 1895

Royal Bank Qld, 1892

Bank of nsW, 1891

Bandstand

Billy’s HotelRoyal Hotel

gympie & Widgee War Memorial gates, 1919

Brick Works & Fernery

neighbourhood housing character area

Town Hall, 1890

Bruce Hwy

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30 60 150m0

Mary st

Channon st

Nash St

Reef st

Bruce Highway

River Rd

Mon

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st

Mon

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97

52150

60

25

119

88

20

137

LEGEND


one Way street

proposed Arterial Roads Bypass*

proposed Arterial Roads for CBD traffic*

Highway

Roundabout

signalised intersection

on street parking

public off-street parking

private off-street parking

* As identified in the CBD parking study referencing a 1995 transport study

gympie town has a unique road network owing to its history as a gold mining town where today’s roads follow the historic mining tracks in the town.

the town Centre which focusses on Mary street is one way between Monkland st and Lawrence street and two-way between Monkland st and Channon st. Reef street, parallel to Mary st and adjoining the proposed Mary street plaza, is also a one-way street in the same direction travelling south-east.

the main traffic concerns identified in the CBD parking study relate to accessing car parking in the town centre. As shown in the plan, right, there are a number of regulated on-street parking bays and off-road parking areas, both public and private. the CBD parking Report identified driver stress when trying to locate available on-street parking along Mary street especially during peak hours. other recommendations from the CBD parking Report included the need for improved awareness of and signage to off-street parking areas for locals and visitors.

While there is no existing road hierarchy network plan, the CBD parking study completed as part of the initial CBD Revitalisation work identified Channon st as a possible future arterial road bypassing the gympie town Centre and Monkland st as a future arterial road to carry most of the CBD generated traffic. these future arterial roads, however, were identified in a transport study completed in 1995. observations on-site revealed that a significant proportion of vehicular traffic enters gympie town Centre via the River Road exit off the Bruce Highway.

local Context: Vehicular access, circulation and parking

EXISTING VEHICULAR ACCESS, CIRCULATION AND PARkING

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Magistrates Court Clock tower

Mary St

Reef St

River Rd

Mon

klan

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Jaycee Wy

Bruce Hwy

Mary St

Reef St

River Rd

Mon

klan

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Jaycee Wy

Bruce Hwy

Mary St

Reef St

River Rd

Mon

klan

d St

Jaycee Wy

Bruce Hwy

A visual analysis of the gympie town Centre and proposed projects from a visitor experience was undertaken.

the following outcomes were determined for Visual permeability:• Visible landmarks - A key re-occuring visual

landmark is the former Magistrate Court House Clock tower which is visible upon arrival. the clock tower is an obvious feature of the Bruce Highway entrance into the town via River Rd. the view to the clock tower is maintained mostly along River Road and also visible at the entrance to the proposed Mary st plaza above the building roof tops from Reef st by both pedestrians and vehicles.

• Pedestrian approaches - there are mutliple pedestrian approaches to the proposed Mary st plaza and transit Facility, most of which were audited in this analysis. there was found to be a strong correlation between visibility of attractors and pedestrian desire lines.

• Vehicle approaches - there are multiple vehicular approaches to the proposed Mary st plaza and transit Facility site including River Rd, Jaycee Way, Monkland st and Young st etc.

• Most visible area of project influence - An overlay of all the visual catchments in the study has determined the area of highest visibility in relation to the proposed sites. this area includes the two project sites and the immediate surrounding areas and streets

local Context: Visual analysis

VIEW 1: Clock tower is a visible landmark from the Bruce Highway approach

Clock tower

PLAN 1: Visual Permeability as approaching from Bruce Highway PLAN 2: Visual Permeability across Memorial Park and edge of Gympie Town Centre

PLAN 3: Visual Permeability north along Monkland St (western side of proposed Transit Facility)

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Memorial Lane

Future Mary St Plaza

Bandstand

VIEW 2: View to Memorial Park and edge of Gympie Town Centre

Future transit Facility

Future Mary st plaza

Back of a shopping centre

VIEW 3: View north along Monkland St (western side of proposed Transit Facility)

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LEGEND


Viewer and photograph location

Approximate visual catchment

Approximate immediate visual catchment if buildings are removed from Mary street plaza and transit Facility

Visible landmark

Magistrates Court Clock tower

Mary St

Reef St

River Rd

Mon

klan

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Jaycee Wy

Bruce Hwy

Mary St

Reef St

River Rd

Mon

klan

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Jaycee Wy

Bruce Hwy

Mary St

Reef St

River Rd

Mon

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Jaycee Wy

Bruce Hwy

PLAN 4: Visual Permeability along the edge of proposed Transit Facility filtered through large trees. Clock tower visible from River Rd

PLAN 5: Visual Permeability along Reef Street PLAN 6: Visual Permeability from proposed Transit Facility from the corner of Reef St and Monkland St

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Future transit Facility


Memorial laneClock tower


Memorial lane

VIEW 4: View to edge of proposed Transit Facility filtered through large trees. Clock tower visible from River Rd

VIEW 5: View along Reef Street VIEW 6: View south to proposed Transit Facility from the corner of Reef St and Monkland St

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gympie town Centre is a predominantly hilly town, with a number of steep hills surrounding the town Centre.

A significant factor in identifying walkable areas of gympie town Centre is mapping flat terrain with grade of less than 10%. For those areas of the town with more than 10% grade, walking requires slightly more physical exertion and may be more difficult or prohibitive to some people, including the elderly and wheelchair users.

Mary street west of Monkland street whilst still walkable and a desirable route for many people has a grade over 10%.

other factors affecting walkability include the condition of the footpath, consistency in materials and width, comfort for pedestrians, for example, shading by trees or awnings.

gympie town has a reasonably well connected pedestrian network with quality footpaths along Mary street, the town Centre, and into adjacent major parklands including Memorial park and nelson Reserve. these footpaths are well shaded, consistent in treatment and width and generally pleasant and flat to walk on.

All signalised intersections in the area provide good pedestrian connections and an effort has been made to provide additional refuge crossings and zebra crossings where they are desired most.

At the proposed Mary street plaza and transit Facility, however, there are a number of missing or poor footpath links, particularly around the proposed transit Facility and along the northern side of Reef street. Also, observations found a number of pedestrian crossing desire lines to and between the proposed Mary st plaza and transit Facility sites particularly around River Rd and the Reef st/Monkland st Roundabout.

local Context: Walkability and Pedestrian Connectivity

LEGEND


Footpath experiencegood. good path condition, consistent, shaded, pleasant, mostly flat

Average. slightly inconsistent path condition, not well shaded and/or hilly

poor condition or too narrow, strong impact of driveways

Signalised intersection

good. Minimal delays, multiple crossings

Refuge crossinggood. Comfortable width, minimal ped/vehicle conflictAverage. Constrained width, ped/vehicle conflict, away from desire linepoor. High ped/vehicle conflict, high traffic speed concern)

Zebra crossinggood. Clear sightlinesAverage. pedestrain / vehicle conflict, not always conveniently locatedpoor. High pedestrain / vehicle conflict, high traffic speed

Shared zonegood. Highly visible and respected

Footpath desire lineCrossing desire line

Jaycee Wy

Mellor S

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Lawrence St

EXISTING WALkABILITY AND PEDESTRIAN CONNECTIVITY

30 60 150m0


Goldfields Plaza

Regional Art Gallery

Public walkway

Memorial park

nelson Reserve

Mary St

Mary St

Nash St

Channon St

Reef St

Bruce Hwy

River Rd

Mon

klan

d St

Jaycee Wy

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Nash St

Mary St

Reef St

Channon Street

Mon

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Mellor S

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Lawrence St

River Rd

Smithfield St

Bruce Highway

Jaycee Wy

Memorial park

goldfields plaza

nelson Reserve

LEGEND


Q100 Flood extent

stormwater drain network

stormwater facility

open space

the proposed transit Facility and Mary street plaza sites are located at the low point of a 117 ha drainage catchment and in close proximity to the Mary River. Both sites are subject to Mary River flooding and lie within the 1% Aep flood extent which is understood to be subject to at least minor flooding in most years. For the 1% Aep flood, the depth of inundation is approximately 10m which is a significant constraint for the proposed transit Facility and Mary street plaza.

gympie Council stormwater assets are generally in good condition with recent upgrades to Monkland street.

there is currently a dome culvert traversing the proposed transit Facility site which may present challenges during design. this dome is an old hand formed structure approximately 1800mm high. A condition assessment is likely required before works in order to assess loading risks. Caution should be taken in loading over and around this dome structure identified traversing the proposed tranist Facility in the plan on the right.

local Context: Stormwater and Flooding

117ha drainage catchment for the proposed Mary St Plaza and Transit Facility sites

2013 Mary River Flood Event - view over proposed Mary St Plaza site including Memorial Park and Mary Street

2013 Mary River Flood Event - view south toward Mary River

plaza site

transit site

Mary st

plaza site

Mary st

Mary River

transit site

Bruce Highway

2015 Mary River Flood Event - view south-east of proposed Mary St Plaza and Transit Facility

transit siteMemorial park

plaza site

EXISTING STORMWATER AND FLOODING

30 60 150m0

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EXISTING TRANSIT INFRASTRUCTURE AND SERVICES

there are a number of bus routes servicing the gympie town Centtre, including the proposed Mary st plaza and transit Facility sites. Many of the local bus routes follow the same route, focused along Channon st, Monkland street north of Reef st and Reef st west of Monkland street.

Both the proposed Mary st plaza and transit Facility sites have an existing bus stop, however, the existing bus stop on River Road services regional bus routes which connect patrons to other gympie destinations such as Rainbow Beach and tin Can Bay.

As shown, Reef street rather than Mary street provides the bus access to the proposed Mary st plaza. this demonstrates the importance of both bus stops and routes for each project.

the existing bus stop opposite goldfields plaza is planned for an upgrade by the Queensland government Department of transport and Main Roads, therefore, the proposed transit Facility will need to compliment the public transport network and hierarchy in the most suitable and strategic manner given the significant land opportunity at the proposed transit Facility site.

there are opportunities to capitalise on gympie town Centre’s proximity to the Bruce Highway and make it an attractive stop-over-stay-longer destination as part of longer Queensland bus, vehicular and RV trips. However, currently there are no dedicated RV parking bays or facilities or particular bays for charter buses.

local Context: transit infrastructure and Services

Mary st

Channon st

Bruce Highway

Mon

kland

st

Lawrence Street

River Road

St Patricks Primary School

Gympie Central School

Reef st

Mon

klan

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Lawrence st

Mell

or st

LEGEND


Major Bus stop

Minor Bus stop

Local Bus Routes

gympie Regional Bus Route

Qld Charter Bus Routes

taxi Bays

school Bus Routes

30 60 150m0

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possible future access to Mary River trails and canoeing

LEGEND


Arts and CultureRegional gallery, regional size performance and/or function venue (capacity over 5,000 ppl)small scale/informal performance venue

Community halls, buildings and civic spaces

Medium size (capacity less than 1,000 ppl)

small scale/informal

Shopping Centres

Large size

Medium sized

tourist information Centres

Cinemas

Christmas tree Locations

outdoor dining (existing and future)

sport and recreation activties

playgrounds

town Centre Heritage trailEXISTING EVENTS, ACTIVTIES AND MEETING SPACES

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Libr

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Activ

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Loca

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Loca

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old

Rush

Fe

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gympie has a number of venues available, both public and privately owned, that are available to hire, book or use informally by members of the public, community organisations and festival and event organisers to cater for a range of events and activities. some of these venues are also meeting and civic spaces for the community.

the majority of these available venues for tourism and local use are within a walkable tourist catchment of the town, which includes those areas of the town centre and surrounds with quality pedestrian footpaths, reasonable grade and destinations. those slightly hillier streets that are very desirable to walk as they connect to important tourism venues and attractions have also been identified.

gympie town has a limited range of existing activities, events and festivals utilising the town’s major parklands, especially nelson Reserve and range of available arts and culture, performance and community venues. As identified in the regional context assessment of gympie’s tourism offerings, a number of larger festivals occur outside of gympie, such as the goomeri pumpkin Festival and gympie Music Muster held in Amamoor.

the largest festival held in gympie town is the gympie gold Rush Festival which utilises nelson Reserve and parts of Mary street. other activities include the Anzac parade which utilises Mary street, Memorial Lane and Memorial park. the gympie Regional Council recently released its Heritage trail program which provides maps and QR code information to increase awareness and tourism related to gympie’s heritage. the heritage trail route for the town Centre currently starts at Memorial park and connects to the town Centre via Memorial Lane.

While outdoor dining locations can vary from time to time, the width of Mary street footpath is constrained in some sections. As consequence, the gympie Council has designated space for future outdoor dining areas where road space can be added to the footpath space, in areas such as smithfield street and Mary street.

local Context: events, activities and Meeting Spaces

30 60 150m0

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LEGEND


gympie police station

Late night trading

extended supermarket trading hours

Hotel accommodation

Restaurants open at night

outdoor Lighting adjoining project sites (as identified in the gympie Regional Council streetscape Urban Design Report)

According to the gympie town Centre Branding and Marketing strategy, trading hours of businesses along Mary street are typically between 8:30am and 5pm with only a limited number of town Centre businesses, mainly dining and entertainment uses, open on weekends and in the evening, thereby reducing the number of reasons for people to come and spend time in the town Centre.

there are also only a few cafés and restaurants are open for dinner, some with outdoor dining options. the shopping centres around the town centre generally have weekday trading hours of 8:30am – 5pm, except the supermarkets such as Coles that are open till 9pm during the week.

the plan right, reveals in white the built environment of gympie and in black those areas not built, including the rear of buildings and public open space areas and road corridors. it reveals a strong focus of the built form facing Mary street with limited overlook and proximity of buildings to the major parkland areas and proposed transit Facility site.

in terms of personal security, the nearest gympie police station is located 350m from the proposed Mary st plaza site and 430m from the proposed transit Facility.

An audit of outdoor lighting facilities in the gRC streetscape Audit Report has identified the location of outdoor lighting in proximity to the proposed projects. it is clear that the Mary st plaza and transit Facility will need more outdoor lighting to integrate with existing lighting to provide a safe, secure and well-lit environment that will become attractive as a night time destination.

local Context: night-time uses

Nash St

Reef St

Channon Street

Mon

klan

d St

Jaycee Wy

Mellor S

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Lawrence St

River Rd

Smithfield St

Bruce Highway

Mary St

EXISTING NIGHT-TIME USES

30 60 150m0

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River Rd

Young St

Jaycee Wy

Mary St

Reef St

Monkland St

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Widgee & Gympie War Memorial Gates

Memorial Lane

Bandstand

Brickworks and Fernery

the proposed Mary street pedestrian plaza currently contains four separate businesses including Billy’s Hotel, all of which front Mary street. Billy’s Hotel within the subject site is currently identified as Local heritage character significance and Memorial Lane including the Widgee and gympie War Memorial gates of state heritage significance.

the proposed Mary street plaza is framed by the Royal Hotel and Memorial Lane, with views of the both adjoining business walls.

the site to the north currently provides a high quality pedestrian environment with shade trees, awnings, consistent paving and amenities such as seating and bike racks.

At the Reef street side of the site, there is a poorer pedestrian footpath quality with a narrow path provided along the plaza side of Reef st with no shade or awnings.

Memorial Lane connecting Mary street through to Reef st and Memorial park is a well used passageway containing public toilets, the eternal flame and many other commemorative qualities built up along both sides of the laneway over the years by the community.

Both Mary street and Reef street bordering the plaza run one-way west to east.

Site Features

Buildings enclosing Memorial Lane Billy’s Hotel local heritage characterGreen leafy character along Mary Street frontage Outlook to green open space parkland

LEGEND


state heritage monuments

state heritage sites

Local heritage sites

playground

High quality shaded paths

poor quality paths

Flagpoles

Facades visible from subject site

existing bus stops

existing trees on-site

Direction of one-way streets

public toilets

public carparks

small-medium performance venue

other statues and memorials

SITE FEATURES

SITE ANALYSIS

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STREET FRONTAGE MONTAGE

Memorial Lane Billy’s Hotel shop frontages to be removed

Mary Street Site Frontage

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Reddacliff Place, Brisbane CBD

Proposed Mary Street Plaza, Gympie Town Centre

TOTAL: 3,248 sqm

62m

50m

Mary St Plaza + Memorial Lane

3,248 sqm

Reddacliff Place: Cafes and restaurants on ground floor Reddacliff Place: Weekly Farmer’s markets bringing food into the CBD

PRECIDENT DESIGNS

4020 30100

reddacliff Place, Brisbane Scale Comparison Inspirational Design Elements

Reddaclif Place containing an open area with landmark building, series of public art sculptures and up to 40 trees, high level of activation at ground floor and positive building and square interaction

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Meeting Square, Dublin

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Large shade umbrellas can be opened and closed. Allow shade, weather protection during events, lighting and darkness to view projections.

Weather structure also lighting installation

Square framed by active uses

Meeting Square, dublin Scale Comparison Inspirational Design Elements

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Bryant Park, New York


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Bryant Park: Shaded Walkways Bryant Park: Shaded boulevard overlooking grassed field

4020 30100

Bryant Park, new york Scale Comparison Inspirational Design Elements

Bryant Park: Open Space for activation

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Raymond Jungles Plaza, Miami Beach

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raymond Jungles Plaza, Miami Beach Scale Comparison Inspirational Design Elements

Raymond Jungles Plaza: Red-designed historic promenade and plaza with native plants and hardscape elements to create various vantage points and visual corridors for pedestrians. Engaging retail and restaurant spaces on both sides.

Raymond Jungles Plaza: Use of water

Raymond Jungles Plaza: Urban oasis

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Market Place Center, Market Street, Boston


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Market Street, Boston Scale Comparison Inspirational Design Elements

Market Street: Central plaza activated at night and pavement detailing

Market Street Boston central area, home to Quincy Markets which is a historical complex constructed in 1824 as a significant market complex

Market Street, Boston (17m wide pedestrian street) with garden beds, trees and activation

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Riverside Square, La Mailleraye-sur-Seine, France

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riverside Square, la Mailleraye-sur-Seine, France

Scale Comparison Inspirational Design Elements

Riverside Square: Redevelopment of the public spaces in the centre of the village of La Mailleraye-sur-Seine (square, road, parking, river banks), with the aim of creating a new high-quality space for the residents and making the village more attractive to tourists, in connection with the Seine and the activities within the village linked with the river

Riverside Square: All about people’s relationship with water and creating spaces for people to interact with it

Riverside Square: The central focus of this project is the relationship of the village with water


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CONCEPT CONTEXT DIAGRAM

10 20 40m0

new carparking

approx. 50 car spaces

6 x RV ca

rpspac

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new parkland with existing mature trees retained

Focal point/ entry sculpture

transit Facilities

Bus stops

Coach interchange

Focal point/ entry sculpture

possible resited eternal Flame

enhanced pedestrain route through park

Retained existing structures

Upper plaza civic space

Mary street pedestrian environment improved

pedestrian and emergency vehicle

access

play/outdoor space

Lower plaza

Memorial Lane design by others

new shared space and improved parkland/

plaza interface

visual link

visual link Taxi

4 x RV parking

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steps

CONCEPT PLAN

LEGEND

existing buildings repurposed for new cafes, restaurants and retail

Ramp for disability access and emergency vehicles

Retaining walls planter edge with shade trees

Large, tall, canopy shade structure

pop-jet fountains that can be turned off for events

shade tree edge

small shelter as an informal performance space

Billy’s retained and restored. ground floor amenities made public

space for cafe seating

terraced fountain

toddler play space and seating

Large shade tree

open grassed event space

gate entry to Memorial Lane

peace memorial wall

planted edge seat for taxi zone

taxi drop off and pick up

shared zone

Accessible carspaces and short term parking

path to transit Facility

nash Memorial repositioned

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Reef Street

Memorial Park

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3D VISUALISATION

toddler play area and raised cafe / outdoor area

existing buildings stripped and repurposed to retain scale and fabric of gympie but encourage new activities and uses

new shelter structure for markets, displays and events

playful pop-jet fountains with artistic colour changing lights. Can be turned off and space used for events

informal shelter for small performances

Billy’s retained and ground floor amenities opened up

Central water feature cascade

Laneway subject to design by others

new tree planting to connect new square with parkland

events Lawn

Mary Street

shared zone

path to transit centre

sculpture / focal point

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CONCEPT ANALYSIS

Mary Street

Reef Street

Memorial Park

5 10 20m0

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LEGEND

Restored historic and character buildings for community use, cafe, restaurant and retail

Building access

public toilet

Hardscape (refer palettes)

softscape (refer palettes)

Water (refer palettes)

trees (refer palettes)

grass

seating (refer palettes)

shelter (refer palettes)

integrated place art opportunities ((refer palettes)

Cafe spaces (refer palettes)

play spaces (refer palettes)

primary pedestrian movements

secondary pedestrian movements

shared pedestrian and low speed vehicle access

shared pedestrian and low speed emergency and event vehicle access (one way)

shared pedestrian and low speed vehicle access for drop-off during events and for Billy’s (one way in, reverse out)

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“spaces” exist as a physical location only; “places” have memories attached to them, there is community pride and they are destinations. What makes a place is less tangible than what is built.

Placemaking is a hands-on approach for creating people-centred public places that are vibrant, memorable, social, and support community values and identity.placemaking focusses on enhancing social and economic well-being through the partnership between Council and the community. With a commitment from Council, a collaborative placemaking approach can be taken to create and enhance community identities and build community capacity and contribute to the local economy.

Place attachmentpublic spaces are more inviting when people feel open to participate in activities, have experiences and create memories in a place. placemaking interventions can allow people of different generations, socio-economic status and cultures to interact and feel part of a public place. this feeling of community ownership lives on even after the intervention has concluded.

affordableplacemaking is often referred to as being “lighter”, that it has a smaller physical impact on its surrounds. the effect is intangible and focuses on social sustainability. Being lighter also means that it’s faster to implement, and more affordable to do. some of the most effective placemaking interventions are also the least expensive.

local economic Growthplacemaking contributes to the local economy. it creates attractive places where people want to work, live, visit, invest and shop. it establishes a “destination” encouraging economic growth across a wide range of sectors and scales.

At a district scale becoming an attractive destination contributes to tourism and investment.

At a local scale, placemaking interventions create and support local businesses. For instance trial pop-ups allow entrepreneurs to start their businesses with less risk, and move to permanent spaces as their gain customers and support. these businesses are generally locally made, designed or sourced goods.

safetypeople attract people, and creative a placemaking intervention that attracts people will make a place safer. the Queensland Crime prevention through environmental Design guide makes this clear upfront in its statement that “perhaps the most important is that crimes against people and property are less likely to occur if other people are around.”

Healthy communitiesBeing outdoors in public places gets people up and moving. Many placemaking interventions directly involve activity and some involve physical activity and exercise.

types of Placemaking

PLAZA PLACEMAkING

activationActivities bringing

movement, life and action

Marketstemporary or semi-

permanent set-ups to sell goods

FestivalsCelebratory events

SpectacleLarge scale, impressive

and creative interventions

Pop-Upinterventions that seem to appear in

unlikely locations and are adaptable to many

settings

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the design has created a series of outdoor rooms of various sizes. informal activities such as kicking a ball on the lawn or sitting under a tree in the Billy’s cafe can occur at the same time as smaller events, such as a guitarist playing under the shelter in the Upper plaza while people listen from the Upper plaza or activties under the shade structure.

on an average day children can splash in the pop-jets, play in the “Cafe and play” space, people can shop at the retail spaces, get a coffee and enjoy sitting under the shade of some trees at Billy’s cafe.

All of the site can be used for large scale events such as markets or spectacle events.

the plan (right) shows the capacity of each outdoor room.

5 10 20m0

Lawn 760m2

Capacity: standing 2,280 peopleseated (rows) 1,140 peoplepicnic 760 peopleevent stalls 27

Billy’s Cafe 200m2

Capacity: standing 600 peopleseated (rows) 300 peoplepicnic 200 peopleevent stalls 6

Shade structure 250m2


Cafe and Play 100m2

Capacity: standing 300 peopleseated (rows) 150 peoplepicnic 100 peopleevent stalls n/A

Consider street and footpath closure to create another event space and to connect with Memorial Park for extra capacity300 m2


Total event space (exluding Billy’s) 1,870m2

Capacity: standing 5,610 peopleseated (rows) 1,870 peoplesitting on ground 1,870 peopleevent stalls 69

Upper plaza 260m2


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PLACEMAkING CATALYSTS

placemaking interventions can also be used to gain support, attract people and businesses before the plaza is constructed. they can also be part of a staged approach to the plaza construction to gather community support and interest.

placemaking interventions can be used to test and trial ideas and designs. Lighter, quicker and affordable temporary elements can be tried for a few days, if this is successful and supported by the community and customers, then longer monthly trials of semi-permanent, moveable and removable components can be tried to test in a longer term scenario; if these are supported, and their impacts positive, then permanent solutions can be established.

two examples of Burnett Lane and northshore Hamilton are as follows:

Burnett laneBurnett Lane is located off the bustling Queen street Mall in Brisbane’s CBD, but despite its proximity it was unsafe because of its enclosed nature, poor lighting, use as a back entry to businesses and lack of passive surveillance. Brisbane City Council as part of their Vibrant Laneways program, and the ideas Fiesta activated the laneway initially by restricting the hours that cars could access it. An Activation event, Burnett City Chic, allowed attendees to see the potential of the laneway, which lead to a trial BReW setting up a coffee cart and then a permanent space in a previously-used back storage for a building.

Burnett City Chic

BREW Coffee Cart

BREW Cafe and Bar

Activation

has lead to

stAge 1

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has lead to

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pop-Up

Built environment

Activation ...

As part of the Brisbane City Centre Masterplan, Brisbane City Council held ideas Fiesta which featured a number of tactical Urbanism interventions. Burnett City Chic was a one-night only pop-up fashion event in Burnett Lane which attracted 5,000 people. For one night the laneway was filled with activity, lights and people. Although it was just one night, people began to see the potential of the laneway, and some businesses were attracted by its low rents and proximity to Queen street Mall.

Following Burnett City Chic, a coffee cart was set up in Burnett Lane as a trial. the space was offered rent free, as it made the space safer. it also allowed the coffee business vendor to start setting up his business incrementally. He was able to train staff, and build a reputation with a customer base without a large amount of capital.

BReW was then able to set up in a permanent space in the laneway, become a café and a late night bar. it was set up in the back storage of a building as a small “hole in the wall” establishment. originally it was difficult to find, but now the people, sounds and good food smells lead you to the space. it has made the laneway safe and vibrant, and given a entrepreneur an opportunity to start a business with less risk.

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northshore Hamiltonnorthshore Hamilton is the largest waterfront urban renewal project in Queensland. the previous Brisbane port site is 304 hectares stretching along 2.5km of Brisbane River. the long term, staged nature of the development requires that land remains unused potentially for decades. economic Development Queensland have initiated placemaking interventions to activate the site, advance a new identity, create community connection with the change of land use and improve passive surveillance after hours through late night use.

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Containerval Festival was run by economic Development Queensland (produced by Amy grey) to activate the old port site at Hamilton. the site will not be developed into a commercial and residential area for the next 5 years, so currently it is a large unused, fenced off, concrete site. the aim was to start to change people’s perceptions of the land’s old use and transition it to becoming a mixed use development. the 3 week festival used recycled shipping containers, and attracted the attention of a market organiser.

eat street Markets started shortly after Containerval and continues to be a huge success. the Markets are predominately held at night, taking advantage of the subtropical climate. they have a liquor license and are always evolving and changing with entertainment and new stalls.

the advantage of shipping containers is that the eat street Markets can be relocated as the future mixed-use development occurs in stages over a number of years. the markets bring people to the site to promote the future permanent residential, work, retail spaces and public places. the market operators could also assist the designers in understanding the micro-climate of the site. popular market operators may even become permanent shops in the development.

ContainervalFestival

Eat Street Markets

FutureMixed Use

Development

Festival

has lead to

will lead to

Market

Built environment

repeat ...

Activation ...

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games night is an award winning activation based at King george square, Brisbane. the giant games attract a range of people creating an inviting spectacle on thursday nights, once a month. games night brings a lively atmosphere to Brisbane’s premier square, engaging with the community and keeping it safe late at night.

With an average attendance of over 200 people each games night, the event is a popular meeting place for both friends and people who have never met before.

games night was established with the objective to encourage interactions between people of different generations, cultures and socio-economic backgrounds with giant and normal sized board games. every month these aims are achieved.

suggested event locations in black

Cost LowTiming Monthly at nightPermissions CouncilScale smallImpact MidInvolvement CouncilType Activation


Cost High ((but recouped through stall hire)

Timing YearlyPermissions VariesScale LargeImpact MidInvolvement Council +BusinessType Market

starting in sydney over 10 years ago, the night noodle Markets have expanded to an extremely popular temporary market event in some Australian and new Zealand capital cities.

“it’s all about an authentic Asian food experience with hawker-style spaces filled with noodle vendors and other surprises all competing for customers.” (http://www.weekendnotes.com/the-night-noodle-markets-christchurch/)

the event has seen overwhelming success, with the Melbourne event in 2015 extended 17 nights 560,000 people passed through the markets.

Mary St

Shade Structure Billy’s

Billy’s CafeUpper Plaza

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Cafe &

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PLACEMAkING IDEAS

Games night night noodle Markets

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over the past decade, Chang has used temporary spray chalk to create temporary messages on the sidewalks of the places she’s lived, including new orleans, Helsinki, and new York City. in new orleans, she created a public note of gratitude and stencilled it around her neighborhood. in Helsinki, she created a love note to her friends in front of their apartments and favorite places around the city on the day she moved away. in new York City, she marked spots on the sidewalks of her Chinatown neighborhood to promote more greenery.

(text from http://candychang.com/work/various-messages-in-public/)

this is the perfect activation for the Upper plaza where it can be washed away by the pop-jet fountains


Cost LowTiming VariesPermissions VariesScale smallImpact smallInvolvement CommunityType Activation


Cost High (but recouped through tickets)

Timing one night, yearlyPermissions Many permits etc.Scale LargeImpact MidInvolvement Council + Community +

BusinessType spectacle

Brisbane Diner en Blanc is a large scale activation of public spaces, to promote Brisbane to the world. this event activates public spaces through a magical, dramatic spectacle, where everyday people, and the effort they have put into their attire, is the attraction. Diner en Blanc is an international phenomenon which started in paris as an outdoor picnic between friends over 20 years ago. everyone dressed in white so that they could recognise one another and brought food and wine to share.

Brisbane is celebrating its 5th year in 2016 with 3,000 expected attendees and 15,000 on the waiting list.

this event is co-produced by Amy grey (tract Consultants), Brooke Williams and Kim Murphy, overseen by Diner en Blanc international.

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Chalk Messages diner en Blanc

Shade Structure

Billy’s Cafe

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Activation Markets spectacle

PLACEMAkING INSPIRATION

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pop-UpFestivals

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MaterialS PaletteS

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large Shelter

Small Shelter

SHELTERS PALETTE

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WATER PALETTE

terraced Fountain Pop-jet

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FURNITURE PALETTE

PLAY PALETTE

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HARDSCAPE PALETTE

SOFTSCAPE PALETTE

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ART PALETTE

CAFE PALETTE

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Mary Street Plaza - Gympie Council · MARY stReet pLAZA 6 intRoDUCtion the proposed Mary street...

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