[COM] Grote Street Streetscape Upgrade

[Howie]

Nah no worries man. Thanks.

[Will]

This is great news for the city considering how important Grote Street is. However I would like the council to give Flinders and in particular Franklin Street a makeover, as the streets as they are currently do not compliment the large quantity of new developments going on, on them.

[crawf]

here here

[AG]

A lot of progress going on in the past few months between Morphett Street and Victoria Square. The road has been narrowed and footpath widened between Pitt Street and Victoria Square on the north side, and west of Pitt Street on the south side. The new pedestrian crossing at Moonta Street is being installed at the moment. Shame they finished off the footpaths with asphalt rather than nice tiles like those used on the North Terrace upgrade.

[Ben]

From the Messenger:

A necessary evil, or a bloody disgrace?

Louise Russell

18Sep07

GROTE St traders are divided over whether lengthy consruction works along the strip have been an upgrade or a downgrade.

Some credit the mostly road works with giving the area a new buzz coupled with the opening of several new businesses.

Others such as longtime trader Dean Donovan, of the Adelaide Antique Market, say the disruption, now six weeks past its original due date, has been a ``bloody disgrace''.

He said the footpath and median strip upgrades, combined with Victoria Square traffic changes made for the tram extension, have turned the area into a mess.
At one point Australia Post refused to deliver mail to his shop, citing occupational health and safety for its posties.

``It's just been a nightmare,'' he said. Mr Donovan couldn't bear to calculate how much his trade had dropped because of the work. ``I try not to look at (takings) because then I get really pissed off.

``Some days are down 50percent; other days are not so bad.''

Next door, A-Class Shoe Repair owner Rocco Spano also blamed the roadworks for a drop in business earlier this year.

``It was chaos, my customers had nowhere to park, but things are starting to return to normal,'' he said.

``(But) business has actually been better than ever since the corner of Vic Square was reopened for turning onto Grote St.''

At the newly opened Promethean Bar co-owner Richard Ortner applauded the upgrades: ``People should just take a chill pill and learn to live with the inconvenience, you get it in every major city in the world. We do have one of the easiest cities to get around even though we have the worst drivers in the world.''

He called for the construction works which stopped at his front door to go further.

``We've got all the inconvenience and none of the benefits afterwards,'' he said.

He said Grote St had a ``big buzz'' that would only get bigger. ``Once they're all completed it'll be a really happening part of town,'' he said.

``It's a logical extension of Gouger St it brings the Central Market out into the street.''

The Promethean is one of a handful of new businesses to open in the greater market precinct this year, including Mesa Lunga (corner Morphett St/Gouger St), Escobar, in Gouger St, Dragonfly, on Victoria Square and a new childcare centre to open on the corner of Grote and Morphett streets.

Grote Precinct Association chair Tony Stacey admitted the ``longer than anticipated'' works were starting to grate but they would only benefit the area, as would the new bus station. ``Construction of this type is a necessary evil to get a good result,'' he said.

City CEO Stuart Moseley said an extra six weeks work had been added to the original project with the council spending $250,000 on drainage and installing flag poles from King William St.

``Then we had two weeks of rain delay,'' he said. ``It's been a very demanding process.''

[stelaras]

any pictures of the changes guys???

just to appease the minds of those that far away from their beloved city!

[bmw boy]

any pictures of the changes guys???

just to appease the minds of those that far away from their beloved city!

there are 2 pics in crawfs collection

http://www.sensational-adelaide.com/for ... 3&start=15

[Norman]

Here's one I took a while back

[Xaragmata]

any pictures of the changes guys???

I have a few here: http://www.xaragmata.thebbs.org/album/a ... index.html

[bmw boy]

Nice work Xaragmata

There you go Stelaras.... good as being in Adelaide ^^^

[Will409]

Just worth updating this project. While I was getting some photos around Victoria Square tram stop, I did take note of Grote Street while I was making my way back to the railway station. 7 of the former King William Street flagpoles have now been installed in Grote Street. That was just about all I really took notice of because I had a train to take.

[Cruise]

Is this still on track to be finished this Millenium?

[Norman]

Asphalting of the road started this week, and most of it should be done by Monday AFAIK.

[Mants]

the flagpoles are up too, look fantastic!

[Norman]

I agree, I think they should put up all the different country flags to integrate with the different cultures the Central Market provides.