HUNTER Street Mall was declared open to traffic yesterday, and while plenty of motorists took a scenic drive through, the test of success is to come.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
or signup to continue reading
Civic leaders hope the move will revive business in the dwindling retail precinct.
Time will tell whether motorists stop to shop.
Newcastle City Council spent $324,500 to convert the pedestrian-only zone to a shared area.
Yellow lines painted on the mall's pavers, rather than a new road, mark a path for vehicles, leading some traders and visitors to query the cost.
City authorities believe it was money well spent.
Council liveable city director Frank Cordingley said the $324,500 covered all costs from design to building.
The council also installed bollards and signs in new parking bays, put in new street lights and repaired existing lights, replaced bins and bubblers, added plants and trees, and did some demolition, roadworks, paving and cleaning.
"For this sort of work it was a relatively tight budget," Mr Cordingley said.
The new car zone was opened in style yesterday, with officials taking a ride through in Chevrolets, Mustangs and Corvettes.
Civic leaders expressed their hope that bringing traffic back to the mall for the first time since 1981 would revitalise economic activity.
Council general manager Lindy Hyam said the mall was the catalyst for a larger plan to revitalise the length of Hunter Street.
