Southern Grampians Shire Council is thrilled with today’s announcement of $2.7 million to fund the Cox Street redevelopment project. The announcement was made in Hamilton ahead of the Great South Coast Regional Assembly by Minister for Regional Development and Minister for Agriculture Jaala Pulford MP.
The Victorian Government contribution will make up more than half of the total project cost of just over $4 million, the balance of which will be contributed by Council.
The Cox Street Front Door Retail Precinct and Street Scape project will activate prime retail frontage, create new jobs, address access and safety issues and improve community amenity at this major entrance into Hamilton. It is the first of five stages in the Hamilton CBD revitalisation project that represent carefully planned and sequenced design and construction phases over the next decade including Melville Oval and Lonsdale Street, Botanic Gardens and Gray Street, Brown and Thompson Streets, and French and Kennedy Streets.
Southern Grampians Shire Mayor Mary-Ann Brown welcomed the funding, saying the project will provide huge economic, educational, social and tourism benefits for the Southern Grampians Shire.
“This funding announcement is one of the most important developments in our Shire in recent times and we thank Minister Pulford and the State Government for their contribution to this very significant project for our region.
“It represents the first steps in fulfilling the vision for the Shire’s CBD ‘To be the civic, shopping, business, entertainment, social, cultural and community heart of the city and region’,” Cr Brown said.
High traffic volumes, narrow footpaths and lack of quality area for development due to the VicRoads reservations has meant that despite it being a key entrance to Hamilton, Cox Street has been somewhat overlooked in the last decade.
This project will deliver on immediate pedestrian safety and address accessibility issues that have been outstanding for some time. The tenure issues with the VicRoads reservation have been resolved, and the land is now available to be reactivated by the private sector, providing for a revitalised street-scape with community oriented spaces. It unlocks approximately 3400 square metres of prime retail frontage, creating new jobs and providing a significant boost to our economy. The project will also involve the roll out of enabling infrastructure to grow the CBD Digital Ecosystem, as part of the Councils’ smart cities initiative.
“The Cox Street Front Door Streetscape is an exciting project for our shire which builds on the significant strategic planning and urban design initiatives prepared for Hamilton.
“We hope to create an entrance to Hamilton that increases civic pride for locals in their town and increases both business investment and tourism opportunities in Hamilton,” Cr Brown concluded.