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Sun 01 Nov 2020

Placemaking for Vincentia Shopping Village - Updated 30 September 2021

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Background

In 2019 Shoalhaven City Council was successful in receiving Federal funding through the Building Better Regions Round 3 Infrastructure program to revitalize the public space in Burton Street, Vincentia.

The project will give the tired and pinched open space a kickstart by revamping and re scaling it into a multi‐dimensional attractive hub for young and old, local and visitor alike. 

The upgrade will attract moreretailers, cafés and restaurants. This will in turn increase tourist visitation and community engagement, as well as support the local and regional economy  through the creation of jobs.

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Project Objectives

By creating a retail, hospitality (dining) and entertainment and recreation hub the following objectives will be achieved:

1. The Vincentia Shopping Village will attract more tourist visitors and locals
   
2. Year-round employment will be increased with an obvious peak in the summer holiday season, with employment opportunities in the retail and hospitality/food sectors during the 6-month peak tourist season.
3. Out-of-tourist-season employment will increase, generated through food service, local markets, night‐time economy activities and improved retail venues, and an increase in winter visitation by tourists taking advantage of the cheaper holiday rentals and lack of crowds.
4. Spin-off-employment will support other businesses in this tourist area contributing to year‐round improved financial sustainability and long-term viability.

Project Cost: $3,444,246
Grant Amount: $1,700,000
Shoalhaven City Council Contributions: $1,744,246

Project Updates

Thursday 30 September 2021

Tenders closed on Tuesday 28 September 2021 for the Civil and Landscape Upgrade of Burton Street Mall.
The Council Project Team will now commence the confidential Tender evaluation and reporting process. Until Council has approved a Contractor there will be no further communication on the project with our community stakeholders as the Project Team will be unable to address any issues related to construction and contractual matters.

We thank you for your patience and look forward to the next phase of the project.

Wednesday 1 September 2021

The Burton Street Mall project has hit another exciting milestone!

The Civil and Landscape Upgrade Tender has been lodged on Tenderlink. The closing date is the 28th September after which the project team will undertake an evaluation of all complying Tenders and submit a report to Council seeking approval to appoint a Contractor.  Between now and then, the project team will be addressing any ‘requests for further information’ which may arise in the Tender advertising stage, as well as finalising planning, technical documents and approvals. 

Discussions are planned with our three Vincentia community stakeholder groups regarding construction timing with Christmas and Covid 19 as two important issues to consider.  Council is mindful that the local business community particularly our Vincentia Village shopkeepers have suffered from interruptions to trading in previous seasons.  Trading has again been impacted by the Sydney and Local area lockdowns preventing visitors from spending time in and around Vincentia and Jervis Bay and it would be great if we can minimise any further impact by careful timing of the works.

Following on from the stakeholder discussions next week with representatives of the Chamber of Commerce, Vincentia Residents & Ratepayers Association and Vincentia Matters further updates will be provided to the wider community.

Images▼: Proposed art wall to rear of amenity block facing the public open space of the mall, to be uplit with LED lighting.  Sand or water blasted pattern into concrete wall – artist’s impression

 

Thursday 12 August 2021

Exciting news!   Council has just received the final design documentation and specifications from Landscape Design consultants NBRS.  These plans form the suite of documents for Tendering. 

In addition, we also received the pre-Tender estimate from an experienced external consulting firm who reviewed the package of design work.  The costings to complete the project as shown in our stakeholder briefings indicate that there is sufficient budget to deliver the project in full.  That means the mall space will have; a brand new amenity building, both carparks north and south to be realigned with new seal and linemarking, compliant pathways and access across and around the public space, shade structures, water and play features, new garden beds, timber decking around the two big trees and additional landscape throughout as well as artistic features and lighting.

The Project Team intends to race against the clock to get the Tender a, advertised on Tenderlink, evaluated and reported to Council prior to caretaker mode which commences on 26^th October prior to the Local Government Elections on 4^th December, 2021.  So, there is much to do and little time, however the Team is working hard to deliver this exciting project.

Further consultation will soon be held between the Project Team, Chamber of Commerce and local shopkeepers regarding how best to manage the Christmas shutdown period with regards to construction.  The aim is to get the works fully completed in line with the grant ‘deed’ yet balance the needs of the shopkeepers and requirements of the approved contractor.  The Contract project plan will be finalised once a contractor is appointed.  One thing is certain, and that is that all the shops facing the mall will be able to operate as usual within normal business hours during the entire construction.

The Project Team will remain in contact with the various stakeholder groups; Chamber of Commerce, Vincentia Residents & Ratepayers Action, Vincentia Matters during the construction phase.

Image 1 ▼ General Arrangement Final Design

Image 2 ▼ Excellent Street end - Southern carpark, amenity with entrance from the south, curved bleacher seating and climbing periwinkle play structure, garden beds and patterned pavement.

Image 3 ▼Elizabeth Rd/The Wool Rd end - Northern Carpark, curved retaining walls, garden beds, new pathway on either side of carpark, pavement patterns, timber decking under existing Eucalypts, compliant access from carpark to open dining and play space in the mall centre.

Image 4 ▼ Giant Periwinkle climbing and play structure with softball underneath

Image 6 ▼ Amenity walk through. Non-contact handbasins, taps, hand driers. 
Timber slats to match other features within the Mall space.  Potential to lock amenity at night with slide gates if required.
 

The Vincentia Shopping Village ‘95% design documentation stage’ has now been presented to the registered stakeholder groups; Property owners, business owners & shop keepers, the Chamber of Commerce, delegates from the VRRA & VM. 

The three meetings proceeded as planned using the online forum of TEAMS.  In each presentation the different representatives gave way to a different focus and series of questions.  It is intended to post as many of the Q & A’s as possible in addition to posting the design and comments which arose about the plans in the presentations.

• Click here to open the Vincentia Shopping Village Presentation - 20 July 2021

DESIGNS AT 95% COMPLETION - 20 JULY 2021

• Trees to remain
• Timber deck
• Entry/exit to remain
• Reduced car parking
• Amenity block
• Gardens
• Shade
• Informal seating
• Outdoor dining
• Textured surfaces
• Tiered walls
• Hob walls remain

Thursday 15 July 2021

Greetings Vincentia Community,

This is a quick update to advise community members that Council’s Project Team’s second attempt at organising a Face2Face presentation of the final designs for Burton Street Mall is to be cancelled and changed to a TEAMS presentation.

The Face2Face presentations scheduled for Tuesday 20th July have been replaced by online TEAMS meetings instead.   This is unfortunate as Council staff have been looking forward to presenting the designs and being able to discuss the project and answer questions in person.  Those members of the stakeholder groups that have previously received an invitation should soon receive confirmation regarding the Teams meetings on Tuesday 20th July.  You will receive an agenda and log via email.

It is envisaged that following these detailed presentations those who attended from the Chamber of Commerce, Vincentia Matters, Vincentia Residents & Ratepayers, property owners and business owners will be able to also discuss the design with members from the wider community who are interested in the revitalisation of the shopping precinct.  The attendees will have a greater understanding of the background behind the design approach and be able address any misconceptions or refer any questions back to Council staff.

Following the presentation, it is Council’s intention to place the plans and some Q&A on our web page to allow the wider public to have a look at what Council and the consultants NBRS have been preparing.
Again, we are very sorry for the change in plans, however we are guided by NSW Chief Medical Officer advice.  We believe keeping our community safe is the highest priority.

Thursday 8 July 2021

Council’s project team is looking forward to holding a presentation of the completed designs for the Burton Street Mall within the Vincentia Shopping Village precinct.  This exciting public space design brings together a revitalised gathering and play space with an extended public open space which integrates carparking to the north and south and the shopping arcades to the east and west yet provides room for outdoor dining and entertainment opportunities.

The plans show how the public space mixes art and playful sculptures with seating, pergolas, lighting, planting, and paving all of which give a new look and feel to the ‘mall’.  The modern amenity block integrates improved access from the southern carpark with easy linkages into the vibrant open space below. A low timber stage surrounds the two large Eucalypts with planting and landscaping to soften the edges and manage level changes to the northern carpark.

Access throughout the site has been improved and level changes have been deftly handled with informal seating and greeting spaces made safe by defined pedestrian and vehicular pavements.  The predominantly native planting scheme also includes some small flowering deciduous trees to invite winter sun and summer shade to carparks, pathways and dining areas.

Severalareas for dining have been designed into the public space to be taken up by themix of eateries that is hoped will develop fronting onto the mall area. Thisintroduction of outdoor dining for both locals and visitors to the area is seenas changing the shopping mix and foot traffic into the evenings and across theweekends as patrons seek out a formal meal or easy fish n chips or pizza forthe family.

Council will hold two face to face presentation sessions for designated members of the Vincentia Chamber of Commerce, property and business owners, Vincentia Residents & Ratepayers (VRRA) and Vincentia Matters (VM). The invitations will be extended for a limited number of participants as we are adopting the precautionary principle of maintaining the 4m 2 rule with attendee numbers predicated on the capacity of the hall.  Council has also invited the design consultants NBRS to assist in the presentation.

Note: This invitation is a follow up from a previously scheduled meeting which was unavoidably cancelled due to Covid restrictions. 

Note: Following on from this presentation the designs and imagery will be posted on this web page for the wider community to view.

Tuesday 15 June 2021

The long-awaited redesign of the Vincentia Shopping Village is soon to be completed and the plans then presented to our stakeholder groups. The design development has experienced a number of delays which have impacted the design delivery timeline.

NBRS the successful design consultancy have been working hard to integrate the most popular requests captured in our extensive public consultation phase managed by Placescore.

The community overwhelmingly requested;

• keep the two big trees.
• have a brand new amenity block
• an organic shaped informal public space
• weave in mostly native planting scheme
• outdoor dining and informal seating under lighting and shade
• improved pedestrian navigation for all
• water and play space to keep the kids intrigued....
• cool vibe to keep the adults intrigued.......
• something unique that other towns don’t have......

The SCC project team wanted to bring you a 90% draft shortly, however NBRS have just advised of a major setback. They have lost a third Landscape Architect Design Manager in two months.  This unfortunate and unusual situation has had a noticeable impact on the timely delivery of design documentation in readiness for the Tender and construction phase.  NBRS are now behind schedule however they are working hard to deliver the complete design by end of June. 

The SCC project team share the frustration and disappointment with our local community regarding delays. The project has experienced other setbacks such as the Currowan fires as well as the impacts of COVID-19 forcing the entire design phase to be managed via ‘Teams’ with SCC not once meeting our design consultants face to face.

It is our plan to reveal the full designs as soon as we received the 100% design documentation with a small scale sculpture of part of the play space.

These images are a little intrigue to let you know the upcoming design has a definite Jervis Bay philosophy. Can you work out what they might be?

Thursday 6 May 2021

The design for the Vincentia Shopping Village - Burton Street upgrade is progressing well and many complex details have been resolved with the aim of increasing the public space whilst improving the movement through the mall to the adjoining car spaces.   The design is based on the information received through consultation in the Placemaking project.   Council undertook the Placemaking project  early in the life of the project to ensure that as many people as possible had input into the design process to provide the design consultants with a comprehensive brief directed by the vision and wishes of the community.

There has been a slight extension to the timeframe due to impacts of COVID-19.  We look forward to receiving the design and believe that it will meet the objectives of the grant and create a vibrant centre that will be enjoyed by members of the community.  The Project Team will coordinate an information evening to present the design to the community once it has been received by Council and discussions held with the adjoining property owners. 

Key Activities

The key project activities to realise a vibrant and attractive community gathering place will include:

• Detailed design of the community gathering place - IN PROGRESS
• Tender preparation and procurement
• Site preparation, including demolition, earthworks, civil works and foundations.
• Installation of surface and subsurface tree management systems
• Construction including: 
  • Raised outdoor dining area 
  • Appropriate shade structures.
  • Improved carpark of approximately 440m2 and associated access.
  • Amenity upgrade to create an aesthetically pleasing amenity block including at least one accessible toilet
  • Landscaping including planting, irrigation, walling, steps, footpaths and paving with a nature-based theme reflecting the Jervis Bay aesthetic
  • Installation of furniture including lighting, shelters, park seating, park picnic settings, bin enclosures and water station.
  • Installation of signs.

Project Location

• Burton Street, VINCENTIA NSW 2540

How did the community contribute to the development of the plans?

Shoalhaven City Council engaged Place Score to develop a Place Strategy for Vincentia Village at the Burton Street Mall.  Community feedback was gathered through street stands and community meetings as well as through Care Factor surveys.  The surveys indicated that 391 people participated in the online questionnaire about the look and feel of the proposed mall design.  The chat stands also gained great attention and input into what the fundamentals of the design should be.  This information was collated and is included in the Vincentia Village Centre Place Strategy Feedback Report.  Key design recommendations based on extensive community input included:

• A green heart and retain the two feature trees
• Toilet transformation
• Stepped performance area
• Connection across the courtyard
• Remove bush ‘block’ and replace with street trees
• Create areas for outdoor seating and shade
• Covered walkways to stay
• Extend open space and retain parking
• Laneway utilisation (private land and beyond scope of this project).

These key design recommendations were the foundation of the final design.

Will the two eucalypts be staying?

The community overwhelmingly expressed their strong desire to keep the trees.  An arborists report has shown that the trees are healthy.  Although the retention of the trees has created some engineering difficulties, the trees will remain.  

What types of trees will be planted?

Most of the plants used in the new Vincentia Village will be a combination of native trees, shrubs, grasses and groundcovers except for the trees proposed for the north and south carparks.   Council will use small summer flowering deciduous trees to frame the edges of the carparks.  These Crepe Myrtles will provide shade in summer and will let the sunshine through in winter when the trees have lost their leaves.   The Crepe Myrtles will be under pruned to ensure visibility throughout the site. 

Who will maintain the landscaping?

Shoalhaven City Council Parks Maintenance Crew will undertake the maintenance of the Vincentia Village public space.  

What types of seating will there be?

There will be a variety of seating in the new space.   Informal seating formed by the curved raised concrete wall around the garden beds and curved bleacher seating contributes to the organic form of the space.   Elsewhere there will be picnic tables and chairs for informal dining.  The space for public use has been increased and it is hoped that the shop keepers and other business will activate these areas and install their own removable dining options.      

I would love to go somewhere and have a coffee while my grandchildren can play. Have you included play equipment in the design?

The aim of the upgrade is to create a space for all ages where people, especially families, will want to come and stay.  Play is an important part of this, however the public space available is small and the demands on it are many.  The designers needed to incorporate many elements in a limited space.  The play equipment in Burton Street Vincentia Village will be unique and sculptural – there is nothing like it anywhere else in the Shoalhaven.  The main play feature will be a large, climbable open frame periwinkle with soft fall underneath.  Nearby will be a set of stone conjevois sitting on a bed of cobblestone rip rap which will allow water to seep away.  The cunjevois have a hidden water nozzle which will spurt, or mist water once activated by children (big and small) using a pump.  The cunjevois and periwinkle, soft fall and riprap all simulate our natural coastal environment of Jervis Bay.

Will the play area be fenced?

No.  Feedback from the community was that they wanted an organic space and natural theme.  The periwinkle and cunjevois features have been positioned to accommodate natural barriers and children scattering whilst the adjoining tiered seating provides surveillance opportunities for parents and carers.  Typically, Council’s playgrounds are not fenced, and they operate effectively and safely.  The distinctive sculpture play features of Vincentia Village have been designed with a public space setting in mind.  This is not a traditional park and has been designed to offer maximum enjoyment for all ages.   

I am concerned about the loss of carparks.  Has the design team considered the impact on the community?

Burton Street Mall is only so big.  The community clearly expressed a desire for a vibrant inviting space that includes play, a performance area, dining areas, an amenity block, lots of greenery and informal seating. The design team took this on board and removed a number of carparks in order to extend the public space and improve access for all.  Throughout the entire design process the number of parking spaces was under constant review.  Early designs showed the carparking at a minimum with more space given over to dining and play.  Later designs following consultation with stakeholders prompted a review which resolve to reinstate additional parking numbers.  The design team have been responsive to the challenge of trying to fit many different elements into a relatively small space, the number of car spaces is now 41.  We have also increased the number of disabled spaces, provided a dedicated maintenance vehicle zone and indicated another 2 spaces to accommodate future electric vehicle parking and charging.

What is the ‘dog leg’ on the northern carpark for?

The ‘dog leg’ on the eastern side of the northern carpark (Elizabeth Drive entrance) will enable trucks to manoeuvre into the laneway to facilitate deliveries (loading and unloading).  This feature has been designed by traffic engineers to maintain access to the shops.  Pedestrian safety is paramount which is why the pathway and main steps adjacent to the designated large vehicle and truck zone will have oversized sandstone bollards and gardens in place to keep people and vehicles safely apart.  There are now pathways proposed for either side of the parking zone to encourage people to move safely about without the need to cross in front of moving vehicles.

I am concerned about car access off of Elizabeth Drive into the northern carpark and cars potentially queuing over the pedestrian crossing.  

The pedestrian crossing is only proposed at this point in time.  The pedestrian crossing, as well as all other proposed traffic changes, will be presented to the next Traffic Management Committee to be assessed for technical compliance and Australian Standards.   The next Traffic Management Committee meeting is scheduled for August 2021.  

Can the new maintenance bay to be located in the southern carpark also be used as a loading bay?

No.  The maintenance bay will be in use several times per day by Shoalhaven City Council’s Maintenance team.  The maintenance bay has been designed to facilitate quick access to the site to ensure that Vincentia Village is always well maintained.  The Maintenance team respond to works as needed and do not necessarily have a scheduled time for maintenance.  The team also have to carry heavy equipment and material so the Maintenance team will need to be able to access the site unimpeded.

If pop up food vans come to the plaza, where do you see them situated?

Pop up food vans, and other vehicles involved in community events, will be able to use the northern and southern carparks.  During these times the carparks will operate under a traffic management plan.   Power outlets will be installed in both carparks to facilitate these types of activities.    

There are many shared user pathways in Vincentia, and I see many families riding their bikes.  Has Council catered for people who want to ride their bike to the shops?

The design includes bike racks.  There will be 9 bike racks installed, providing spaces for 18 bikes.   

The site slopes and it can be difficult to navigate particularly for older people.  Will this be improved?

Improving accessibility from the carparks at either end to the shops and additional carparks on either side was one of the most important aspects underpinning the redesign.  The design team incorporated a series of low grade ramps and handrails to assist in pedestrian access for all members of the community.  The arcades on either side of the mall are major links for many people and a gentle grade has been designed into the public space area from one side of the mall to the other.  In other areas of the outdoor open area steps have been included to better utilise the space available.  The whole site is much easier to navigate through and the designs have been reviewed via an Access Audit and have been created to meet Australia Standards for Access.      

Why are the toilets staying where they are?

Place Score and NBRS (Council’s Design Consultants) independently determined that the amenity block should stay approximately in the same location.   Several alternative locations were investigated but were unsuitable for a number of reasons predominantly being lack of available space and the enormous cost of relocating services.   Through consultation with the community, it became clear that the issues with the toilet block were that it tended to divide Vincentia Village into two, it looked dated and that there was a lack of privacy especially for the disabled toilet.  The old amenity block will be completely demolished and replaced with a new one.   Design elements of the toilet block include:

• Improved accessibility and will consist of two unisex ambulant and two unisex (one LH and one RH) accessible cubicles.   
• A new colour palette with an artistic feature on the northern wall.
• A roof line that creates an airy feel and visibility between the north and south sides of Vincentia Village will be improved.
• The design includes a mesh like façade under the roofline which links to the top of the cubicles.   At night-time the light will shine through creating a pleasing visual element and improved safety.

Will the low walls between the shops and the public space remain?

It was originally hoped that these walls would be removed.   A hydrological engineering study was undertaken, and it could not be guaranteed that flooding of the shops would not occur in a 1 in 100 year event.  Council is not responsible for the walls, nor is the removal of the walls part of this project.  However, from the engineering reports it would be prudent that these walls remain in place as they provide protection from flooding. 

Will the charity bins be staying?

Council will contact the owners of the charity bins and request that these be removed.

Has there been any consideration of linkages between Vincentia Village and beach?  Any wayfinding or directional signage?

Council will install some wayfinding signage directing visitors to Vincentia Village to the beach.  This project and project funding is focused only on Burton Street and Vincentia Village activation.  While Council would like to create improved linkages between the beach and the mall, these would fall outside the scope of this project and will be investigated once the project is complete.     

It is difficult to find the entries to the carparks at Vincentia Village.  Will the signage in the carparks be improved?

Yes.  The project team will investigate options to improve directional signage to both carparks – from Elizabeth Drive and Excellent Street.  The project team understand that directional signage is important but are unable to finalise this signage design and location until substantial construction has been completed.  Concept signs for Vincentia Village shopping area will be further developed in conjunction with the landowners and the Vincentia Chamber of Commerce.      

• Do you have a question? 
• Click here to submit your Vincentia Village question 

Progress 

Extensive community and business consultation have been incorporated into the Place Score Report (see below).

Following a tender process Shoalhaven City Council engaged NBRS Architecture in November 2020 to develop the design for Burton Street Mall and subsequently provide Council with a construction documentation package and tender documentation.   The design will be informed by wishes expressed by the community through the Placescore consultation process.  

Design is taking longer than originally expected due to site complexities.   The community overwhelmingly wanted to keep the two mature trees that are in Burton Street.   An arborist’s report showed that the trees are healthy and can remain in place.   Therefore, site design needs to take into account the level of the base of the trees.     

The site slopes from south to north as well as from west to east.   Improved access is a key feature of the design.  NBRS engineers have been investigating how to adjust the gradient to provide greater accessibility while maintaining the base levels of the trees.     

Shoalhaven City Council are confident that NBRS Architecture are able to design a welcoming and vibrant community space that will encourage locals and visitors to visit, stay and shop in Vincentia Village.    

It is expected that design will be completed by late June 2021 and Council will be able to advertise the tender packages for construction in August 2021.

Project Partners

• Shoalhaven City Council
• Vincentia Village Retailers, Businesses & Landlords
• Federal Government - through the Building Better Regions Funding Program
• Place Score
• NBRS Architecture

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Further Information

More information about this project is provided in the:

• Document Library

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Who's listening

Shoalhaven City Council
Economic Development Office
Phone: 02 4429 3388
Email: business@shoalhaven.nsw.gov.au

Document Library

• Feedback Report to Council & Community - Vincentia Village Centre Place Strategy - 21 May 2020 (pdf 18MB)

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Important Links

• Shoalhaven City Council
• Shoalhaven City Council - Economic Development Office

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Life Cycle

• Nov 2018 : Shoalhaven City Council lodges grant application
  
• Mar 2019 : The Deputy Prime Minister approved funding for the “Placemaking for Vincentia Village” project. 
  
• Jun 2019 : Grant Deed signed
• Jul 2019 : Establishment of key stakeholder groups being the Project Control Group (Council staff), the Property Owners Group, the Shopkeeper Group  and the Community Stakeholder Group
  
• Aug 2019 : Engagement of Placemaking Consultant being Place Score.
  
• Sep 2019 : Care Factor surveys capturing most valued attributes of an ideal town centre redevelopment - 391 respondents
  
• Sep 2019 : Online survey requesting ideas to make Vincentia Village sustainable and successful – 232 responses
  
• Sep 2019 : Face to face survey on Place Experience Assessment - 47  respondents
  
• Oct 2019 : Community Workshops – 32 participants
  
• Dec 2019 : Workshop and street stand – 118 participants
• Feb 2020 : Draft Vincentia Village Centre Place Strategy received
  
• Feb 2020 : Temporary street furniture purchased.  Delivery delayed due to COVID-19.
  
• Mar 2020 : Project update email notification sent to community stakeholders  
• May 2020 : Webpage developed
• Jun 2020 : Expressions of interest for design consultant being finalised
• Aug 2020 : Expressions of interest for design consultant advertised
• Sep 2020 : Expressions of interest assessed
• Oct 2020 : Fee proposals assessed
• Nov 2020 : Design Consultant engaged - NBRS Architecture
• Jun 2021 : Design completed
• Aug 2021 : Tender packages for construction

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Stay Informed

• Click here for further updates on the project.