The City of Greater Bendigo is investigating the future ownership and potential redevelopment of the two-storey car park between Myers Street and Lyttleton Terrace, also known as 'Coles car park'.
The City owns and maintains the car park, which is leased to the privately-owned Lyttleton Terrace Shopping Centre. This centre accommodates a supermarket and shops, including a grocery store, lolly shop, an op-shop, bakery, butcher, and bottle shop.
City Director Strategy and Growth Steve Hamilton said this site was shown as a 'strategic redevelopment site' in the Bendigo City Centre Plan, which was adopted by Council last year.
"From this, Councillors will now start the investigation of options for the site into the future," Mr Hamilton said.
"Councillors are keen to understand community views as the first step in this process and we have developed detailed information on our Let's Talk platform to provide a broader understanding about the site.
"I must emphasise that no decisions have been made about the City-owned car park site and this community engagement is only the start of this investigation.
"This is a high profile and centrally located site with multiple street frontages and there are mixed views about how this site currently works within the city centre and opportunities for it to be enhanced.
"This early engagement with residents and businesses located in this area will allow Councillors to have a better understanding of the site, its use now and its future potential.
"A decision on whether to retain or sell the site is still some time off and will not be considered until after the community engagement process is completed, reviewed and reported to Council."
Residents are advised to read the frequently asked questions before completing the brief survey. The survey closes on Wednesday October 13, 2021.
Head to: https://letstalkgreaterbendigo.com.au/investigating-future-coles-car-park
