Chinatown’s laneways to get a colourful spruce up

Bobcats have rolled into Chinatown to begin a revamp of the area’s public spaces.  The first stage is upgrade three streets in the heart of the district.

Hay Street, Factory Street and Kimber Lane are about to make the transition from arterials to destinations.

City of Sydney Council plans to widen footpaths, install street furniture, plant trees and decorate the area with bold lighting and public art.

In late 2009, a community workshop was held in which local business owners and residents had their ideas and opinions heard.  Preliminary plans were drawn up and presented in 2010, again made available for public scrutiny.

President of the Haymarket Chamber of Commerce, Brad Chan, says of the community consultations, “Overall, there was a consensus that Chinatown was getting tired and needed to be rejuvenated.”

Council reported locals indicated strong support for Chinatown to grow as an organic, authentic cultural destination rather than a “cultural theme park.”

With this in mind, the council set about redesigning some of the iconic district’s run-down streets.

The new plans are strongly pedestrian oriented.  Factory Street and Kimber Lane will be shared spaces for cars and pedestrians, with Kimber Lane’s speed limit being lowered.

In Chinatown, the conversion of streets into pedestrian walkways has a successful history.  Dixon Street was closed to cars in the late 1970s; the section of road has become the heart of the district.

The new plans seek to compliment and expand on the success of the Dixon Street strip.

Part of the $5 million development is a bold mural in Kimber Lane (pictured) designed by local artist Jason Wing.

Currently, Kimber Lane is all but abandoned–aside from loading bays, a few rats, and a pungent aroma.  Many locals were apathetic about the benefits of developing the lane, stating that it was too narrow, too dark, and too dirty to be worth the effort.

Council aims to turn dilapidated laneways into thoroughfares, and thoroughfares into destinations themselves.

Work is expected to be completed in February 2012.

By Nick Jones