Windsor Mall
The Refurbishments to Windsor Mall
I recently took the opportunity to walk through the whole of the refurbished Windsor Mall and the video is here. Now the work is substantially done, I have to say it's looking amazing.
New sandstone flagstones greatly exceeds the original sandstone; the sponsored pavers are now proudly on display. The garden beds are now being planted with a range of attractive species. One concern I've heard a lot of concerns space for markets. Don't worry. There is still plenty of space for the markets! The layout is... different, but the gardens don't dominate which is the impression you might get from a single photo. Yes, there have been some changes to alfresco dining, but what I observed still gives space to those anchor tenants like Simon's Cafe or Second Home Cafe.
I met again with Harry from Simons and we discussed how other spaces close to the cafe such as near Loder House can be made available and I continue to advocate in that regard.
Talking with Hawkesbury Business Owner Darren Pead about Windsor Mall
Darren Pead is committed to the economic health of the Hawkesbury, running Guy Stuff, Lollies 'N Stuff and Delicious Desserts – all in Windsor Mall.
He’s also passionate about how we present and promote our town centres, balancing renewal with enhancement of our wonderful heritage.
Council has spent the last three years developing a strategy for renewal in our town centres as part of our participation in the $18.75M Western Parkland City Liveability Program.
Darren has travelled the world to look at how other historic townships put their heritage front and centre, and asks if we’ve gotten the mix right.
Recently the community has affirmed it wants the rotunda and the gas lanterns preserved and restored in Windsor Mall, but Darren points to the huge proportion of the available budget being lost to just one aspect - uprooting and relaying all the paving, when repairs to the existing paving (badly needed - no argument) could unlock millions to get better value from the project as a whole.
I don’t want to see wrought iron seating replaced with sterile, Westfield-style bland street furniture.
A heritage trail could link Windsor Station to Thompson Square with medallions embedded in the pathways and an extension of heritage-styled lanterns down George St.
Darren and I would like to see the plan - otherwise excellent, given one more pass by Councillors to ensure that the money is spent where it will do the most good.
We sat down and had a chat this week and it makes for a fascinating conversation.