Published in the Moreland Leader, 14 July 2014
WILSON Ave will be permanently blocked at the Sydney Rd end to make way for a public space.
Moreland Deputy Mayor Meghan Hopper said the area was one of Brunswick’s top crime hot spots, prompting great community support for the project.
“It’s so exciting to receive this level of support for a council project,” Cr Hopper said.
The Jewell of Brunswick public space, between Sydney Rd and Black St, will mean Wilson Ave is no longer directly accessible from Sydney Rd, but can be partially accessed from sidestreets.
The public space will include trees, bike hoops, an urban bouldering wall and space for food trucks.
The initiative has won the support of traders, with Dangerfield regional manager Shelby Virieux happy with the council’s decision to create a permanent public space.
“The pop-up park was a great success driving foot traffic to our business,” Ms Virieux said.
“(The permanent space) will bring new life to the lower end of Sydney Rd.”
The council allocated $450,000 to the project and the State Government contributed a further $210,000.
Construction will begin in January next year and the project is set to be finished by April 2015.
Jemimah Clegg 