The Minister for City Services, Chris Steel has announced that Dunlop and Fraser shops in West Belconnen are to be upgraded.
Mr Steel said local residents could look forward to improvements in their shopping centres with work underway to appoint a tenderer to complete the upgrades.
“Local shops are important community hubs that create a sense of belonging and provide opportunities to gather,” Mr Steel said.
“However ageing public infrastructure can have the opposite effect.”
He said the upgrades for the Fraser shops follow previous consultations to identify what was important for a future public space upgrade at the local centre.
“Fraser and Dunlop were identified as local shopping centres in need of improvements with $800,000 allocated to help revitalise and improve access in and around the centres while also encouraging people to shop locally,” Mr Steel said.
He said the improvements at Fraser would include landscaping; outdoor furniture in the existing courtyard; and changes to key pathways and stairs to make them safer and more accessible.
Dunlop is to receive some minor amenity improvements including a public noticeboard as well as new shade sails over the playground in the open space behind the shops.
Mr Steel said construction was expected to be underway early next year following the finalisation of design work and was estimated to take approximately six months.
