THERE’S no electricity and butchers paper in lieu of surveys, but residents have taken the mall redevelopment into their own hands.
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Alt.proposal is a community-driven engagement centre that has opened just a few doors up from Armidale Regional Council’s Community Connect. Organiser Adriana Hegney McClenagahn said she felt council’s space is not cutting it.
“I feel so strongly that the community needs to be a part of this,” Ms McClenagahn said.
“We really want to make the Armidale mall a place to come to, not a place to go through.”
Controversy rocked the community when council applied for $3.3 million in state government funding.
Mall traders said they were not consulted about the plans that would see the mall opened to traffic.
Council has rented an engagement space in the mall in response.
We really want to make the Armidale mall a place to come to, not a place to go through.
- Adriana McClenagahn.
The Community Connect Engagement Centre features ARC branded carpet, a coffee machine and the $74,000 King and Campbell concept plans.
At alt.proposal, the fittings, signage, chairs and space have all been donated.
“I’m hoping people realise that they are a part of this mall, they have a voice, they can speak and they can be heard,” she said.
“That’s what makes the place, it always boils down to the people.”
Submissions at the ARC Community Connect Engagement Centre can be made online or at the shopfront.
Ms McClenagahn said she was not happy with the responses she received at Community Connect.
At alt.proposal, the community’s ideas will be sent as a submission to council.
“Already so many good ideas have come about, many of them low-cost and high-impact ideas that we can do without ripping up the entire mall.”
Alt.proposal opens at 160 Beardy Street in the mall on Friday and will be open everyday from 9am to midday, except Sundays.