$8m public space upgrade approved!

Fremantle Council this week approved  plans to upgrade public spaces in  Kings Square.

The key components of the $8 million upgrades  include:

• more shaded areas, with a 5% increase in tree canopy
• over 2 300sqm of public gardens and grassed areas
• a new outdoor interactive children’s play space with artistic light and sound elements
• a designated church yard and urban garden area
• new paving and street furniture extending further out to the edges of the square
• a greater priority on pedestrians but with the retention of service vehicle access, universally accessible parking and vehicle drop-off zones
• flexible outdoor spaces for events
• wider footpaths to encourage alfresco dining
• historical interpretation including glass floor viewing windows to interpret the former church and other material found in recent archaeological excavations
• enhanced lighting and CCTV coverage.

The plan includes multiple zones including a kids’ play space, quiet shaded areas for people to relax in and flexible spaces for events and other community uses. The end result will be a safe and inviting multi-purpose place for people of all ages, abilities and interests.

The endorsement of the plan follows an extensive public consultation phase where more than 350 individuals, organisations and community groups provided feedback in workshops and via formal comments and submissions. This included around 160 school-aged kids who took part in one of five design workshops for the new play space.

The City of Fremantle will now move into the detailed design phase which will include budgeting and staging options as well as further traffic modelling, accessibility and safety audits, consultation with the Whadjuk working party and selection of colour palettes and materials.