Preferred Tenderer Announced
The Shire of Broome Council has selected a preferred tenderer to undertake Stage Two construction works, last week endorsing Chief Executive Officer Sam Mastrolembo to negotiate the final details of the construction contract with the preferred tenderer, Georgiou Group.
Artist impressions have been made available ahead of the work starting, with positive future developments set for Napier Terrace, Carnarvon Street North and Short Street.
It is anticipated that Stage Two construction work will commence in November 2020, and be completed by mid-2021.
Shire of Broome president Harold Tracey said the Chinatown Revitalisation Project Stage Two would build on the achievements from Stage One and transform the town centre for residents and visitors alike.
“The feedback from the completed Stage One has been overwhelmingly positive, with the work completed refreshing our streetscapes and creating socially engaging places for the community,” he said.
“This project is boosting the local economy, creating local jobs and will forge an even greater sense of pride within the Broome community.
“The start of construction work during the off-season is deliberate and has been done in an effort to minimise the impact to our hardworking local retailers.”
Parking and roadworks during construction
Once the construction contract is awarded, we will be working together to ensure that disruption to businesses and the community is minimised during construction. We’ve taken on board your feedback from the Stage One works and will be increasing our contractor’s efforts to provide consistent and accurate communication with traders about the works schedule.
In the meantime, there are lots of under-utilised parking options that we can all already use. The biggest of these is the Paspaley Plaza car park off Short Street which includes the upstairs undercover car park where there are regularly spare spaces, and whilst it has a height restriction, most 4WD vehicles do fit. It even has an airconditioned lift to take you back down to street level!
Rhythm ‘n’ Chews nights a hit
The hugely popular Rhythm ‘n’ Chews nights at Paspaley Plaza, aided by a $500 Chinatown Activation Grant, have gone down a treat with locals and visitors alike, with all the participating food outlets reporting a solid boost to trade on the fortnightly Saturday evening events.
The last two events in the series will happen this Saturday 26 September, featuring local musician Carley B and the ever popular Wasamba drummers, and on Saturday 10 October with Henry Skeen & Son and performances by the Broome Performing Arts Co-Op and Studio 34.
Bring the family into Chinatown and head to Paspaley Plaza for a fantastic event with a great community atmosphere and an array of delights from local outlets including DMK Kitchen, Phat Toulas, Kitchen Cabana, Fresco Hut, Subway, Land of Pharaohs and Ginreab Thai.
Wasamba drummers performing at the recent Rhythm ‘n’ Chews night in Chinatown
$500 grants help Chinatown events
If you’re a Chinatown trader, did you know you could be eligible for a $500 Chinatown Activation Grant to help put on in-store activities and promotions? The Aarli Bar recently put on a hugely successful “Neon Nights” event. This annual themed girls’ night was a sell-out and included additional venue decorations and a DJ aided by the $500 Chinatown grant. The Roeyfest Beer, Food, Wine and Art Festival taking place 26-27 September will also benefit from a grant, which will be used to provide extra parking on Male Oval.
Ladies’ Night survey results
We held a customer survey during the recent Ladies’ Night event, and the great news is it sounds like everyone enjoyed the evening, with a 97% satisfaction rate. Other interesting statistics about the evening included;
80% locals and 20% visitors;
50% of you heard about the event through social media; and
75% of you took advantage of late-night shopping in Chinatown (other than shopping for groceries), which is great news for local traders!
Feedback as to what you’d like to see from both future Ladies’ Night and other Chinatown events include more food options such as food vans, weekly night markets and events, late-night shopping, cultural and art events, and family fun days.
Taking a ride on the pedicab during Ladies’ Night
Chinatown Revitalisation Project FAQs
If you have a question about the Chinatown Revitalisation project, we’ve created a page on our website dedicated to answering commonly asked questions. Simply click here to find out more, and if you still have questions, please send them to us!
Dates for Your Diary
July to September 2020 - Stage Two tender process
September 2020 - Stage Two contractor announced
Saturday 26 September - Rhythm 'n' Chews at Paspaley Plaza
Saturday 26 & Sunday 27 September - The Roey Beer Wine & Art Festival
Monday 28 September - Thursday 2 October - Radiotown in Chinatown
Tuesday 29 September - Kids' activities in Johnny Chi Lane
(popsicles, painted faces and pottery)
Saturday 10 October - Rhythm 'n' Chews at Paspaley Plaza
Monday 19 October - Broome Community Resource Centre Open Day event
as part of 'Get Online Week' (19-23 October)
November 2020 to June 2021 - Stage Two construction
Friday 4 December - Christmas Trails & Celebration
May 2021 - Chinatown Discovery Festival
