Queen Street retail space set for facelift

A project between the Waimate District Council and Rooney Earthmoving Ltd (REL) will see a block of vacant shops on Waimate’s main street make way for an outdoor community meeting space in the coming months.

The project will see several shops between the Waimate Police Station and the former Cameron’s building (now Style 358) on Queen Street razed to the ground, with demolition already underway.

Waimate District Mayor Craig Rowley says the joint initiative will help improve the attractiveness of the main street to both locals and visitors, and provide a space with purpose.

“Adding a community meeting space not only removes the empty and unattractive retail shops, it provides a ready-made clientele for both the surrounding retail tenants and possible new sponsors,” Mayor Rowley added.

The meeting space will include the installation of an attractive fence along the rear of the open space and will feature a range of removable elements, including seating, gardens and shrubs and opportunities for other organisations to donate additional attractive elements. The majority of these elements will be removed and redistributed across the district once the land is required for the construction of new retail outlets.

The community meeting area will remain in place until REL commence further development.