Cash cow or city heart?
ACT Greens MLA Deb Foskey has raised concerns that tomorrow's auction of Section 63 in Civic is designed to maximise income for the ACT Government without considering what kind of city is being made.
"This is the first major development since the ACT Government and the NCA signed on to the Griffin Legacy inspired plan for City Hil" Dr Foskey said.
"While the NCA's indicative drawings suggest a pedestrian friendly, well treed, lively living environment for the heart of our city, this kind of piecemeal development will not deliver anything like it."
"Chances are residential development will echo the Metropolitan across the road: simply high priced units locked into towers above commercial offices."
"Vernon Circle will remain the main drag for the Civic's north-south traffic making mockery of the idea of a city park for local residents that features in the NCA's seductive drawings."
"Public space is said to be a high priority, but the decision of what is acceptable looks like staying in the hands of the developer, and not open for public comment."
"I have no doubt that the block will sell for a lot of money, as the developer will be able to do what they want."
"Unfortunately, as we have seen with the Canberra Centre development and then its expansions, the Griffin Centre redevelopment, and now City West, visionary design and good social outcomes are simply abandoned in the face of short term economic gains.”
“For those of us wanting a city for everyone – people who visit and work in the city, and live in it – the Section 63 development looks like being another opportunity missed” Dr Foskey said.
