North Bridge needs a facelift and there was a vote last night by the Perth City Council. Bruce Reynolds is the felt like I out there for a moment. Bruce Reynolds is the Deputy Lord Mayor of the City of Perth and joins us on the program.
Bruce, thanks for your time morning, fellas.
How are you going?
How'd the vote go?
Unanimous? Past? Obviously with flying colors. It's an important decision and as you said, north Bridge is looking a little tired and we've approved this to go through to a public consultation phase to get feedback on the plan and everything being equal, probably by about twenty twenty eight it should be completed.
What was it neglective for such a long period of time, mate.
Yeah, you're right, so twenty years since we've done anything significant north Bridge. I guess it's like a lot of things, Milsey, what you focus on grows and there's been a lot of other places within the city that the city have been working on, and so now's the time to find that money in the budget to and move it into Northbridge.
It's amazing this side of the railway station or City of Perth side, I would say from Jagan Square all the way back to our ac arena that has all been redeveloped in more recent times. I just then look over the railway line and the other side hasn't. And I spoke about just earlier, Bruce. You may have heard the empty shops. There's a lot of vacant shops or what used to be a thriving Lake Street and streets like that where we just need to improve.
Yeah. Look, I've I started in north Bridge at the printing company as a fifteen year old. Actually, you actually came out Mainy one day, visited as mate, and told me some national mutual insurance fund and I bought my sixteen foot teny after ten years on that and got out amongst the recent mindari with it. So yeah, so look, mate, So I've been in Northbridge since I was fifteen, seen
a lot of changes. But this will be as it dovetails into the cultural center, this will be fantastic for the area and it will be the catalyst you would think for investment to swing back into that area.
Right, So what will I notice when I go in there?
Alrighty, So for around about the seventeen million mark Carmilsey, there will be a very large increase in space for footpaths, so that will increase the Alfresco dining area and then
help with activation for events. There's going to be a new improved landscaping, a lot of I think you're up to about twenty eight new street trees along James Street, a large investment in up to date lighting and that's obviously really important, more public art seeding options, and also retractable bollards, which doesn't sound like a big thing, but when you're able to then close the street off effectively for events, it does open that place the whole street
up for you know, just being a far more safer place to hold events of any scar.
Really, when I recently went there, I struggle with parking and I ended up in a Wilson car park where I just paid an arm for. I just chewed my arm off for the two hours that I went in there. I was actually looking at a business in there at the time. Is parking going to be worse off and are you encouraging people to get public transport to find other ways because that is an issue?
Yeah, it is. Ultimately there's a round just shy of eighteen hundred off street bays in the area, and I certainly would encourage you to use City of Perths parking because it's a lot cheaper than other alternatives. On street bays, there'll be around about seventy on street bays, So yeah, I think typically for the nighttime economy, you find that people will you know, will go in via uber or go in off the off street parking. Day to day parking,
obviously it's a challenge. It's a capital city channel challenge. There's never enough parking. But at the same time, parking comes at a cost with things like trees and amenities and open base for a you know, for olf Resco.
Paul's given you a whack. He said, look at what the City of Perth have done. And as Perth WA's a pedestrian traffic get shut down and businesses fail, how will you negotiate that pathway?
Well, it's one of those things bills, it's easy to throw rocks. But then if you look at the what's been gazetted this year alone for completion and then over the next three years you've got Perth Convention Center redevelopment which will be which will be fantastic. Supreme Court Gardens has being redeveloped. The Crillion has basically gone through DAP for redevelopment. Pan Pacific have just finished their fifty million
dollar redevelopment. The Burlo Bridge has been finished, the primary school's coming on board, ECU gets finished next year, Whacker Gloucester Park Concert Hall. It's never ending, so there's certainly a lot of positives in amongst all that and room for improvement?
Are you running for mayor in October?
I'm running for today?
Well, why shouldn't he? He's doing a good job.
So I'm up to a Hilton coudruals at the moment, and I've even got the better all cough, Mixtu're out, So I'll get through today and tomorrow and let let octake you.
Will you have any candidates running against you? Do you think, Bruce?
Oh? Not necessarily knowing if anyone was running against me, because the election has been called and I haven't nominated. But look, it's a prestigious role Milty's and it is literally like it well basically regardless of what happens mate come October, I would have been, for want of better words, and the role of Lord mayor, for out or acting Lord mayor or whatever you want to call it for ten months, but I'll take that to my grave. It's been an amazing experience and I've loved it.
Get to wear.
All the gear that Basil we used to wear, or do you have to get the top job before you have to start wearing that stuff?
No change to your elected if you find anything in the cupboards when you got to there, no Bruce