Clover announces Napier Street upgrade

Lord Mayor Clover Moore has announced a new outdoor community space upgrade for Napier St in Paddington.

As part of the City of Sydney’s Oxford Street Cultural Quarter Action Plan, the work will transform the eastern end of Napier St between Rosebud Lane and the intersection of Greens Rd and Oxford St.

The plans include terraced areas with seating, new garden areas and landscaping, improved lighting and new paths.

“The City of Sydney is transforming Napier Street with new seating, garden beds, lighting and landscaping to make it a more beautiful and enjoyable place,” a City of Sydney spokesperson said.

“Residents and visitors will also enjoy a wonderful terraced area that provides an ideal setting for future outdoor events or possibly even a café.”

Community consultation was conducted during the planning stage.

“Local residents and businesses offered their ideas to improve the area during a door knock in August 2011 and a community drop-in session in December 2012,” the City of Sydney spokesperson said.

Ms Moore attended two meetings that were held with the local residents and members of the UNSW College of Fine Arts (CoFA).

Will Mrongovius, Convenor of the Paddington-Darlinghurst Community Working Group, said the upgrade was a much-needed accompaniment to the CoFA redevelopment, but was overdue.

“We think it’s a year too late,” he said. “The whole thing should have been done with the opening of the CoFA campus.

“We’ve had a long-term plan for when CoFA was redeveloped. Their main entrance was to be on that corner and that’s happened now. To make sure that main entrance works, you need to upgrade that park.”

Local resident Leone Morrison said she is supportive of the development.

“CoFA has had a big rebuild and this is all really part of the residential component of that upgrade,” she said.

“It does seem to be a logical thing for that park to be developed so that people can traverse it comfortably and also take refreshment.”

Work on the upgrade will begin in mid-November and is expected to be completed by mid-2014.