DAMIEN Fitzgerald can hardly wipe the smile off his face as he describes the makeover that is in store for the Launceston city centre.

The Launceston City Heart project manager said the project would begin with what was once an almost forgotten side street in Launceston’s CBD.

But in less than two months, Dicky Whites Lane will be transformed into a bright, vibrant and inviting laneway.

Named after one of the city’s most colourful characters from the 1800s, the lane is being revitalised as part of the Launceston City Council’s City Heart project.

New paving, LED lights and interchangeable street art installations will turn this space into a trendy new area in the heart of Launceston.

And this is just the beginning, in less than a year work on the entire Quadrant Mall is set to be completed and the entire space will have a new feel and energy.

‘‘It will just create this focal point for the city,’’ Mr Fitzgerald said.

‘‘Once we start working into the major space, that will start to bleed and feed people into the area.

‘‘Discussions are currently being undertaken about how we can get some public street art in [Dicky Whites Lane] along the walls as a temporary installation.’’

It has taken over a year of planning to get the project under way but Mr Fitzgerald said it will all be worth it when the finished project is revealed to the public.

Throughout last year, the Launceston City Council asked the local community to have its say on what they wanted to see changed in the area.

The majority of participants said that they visited the CBD weekly, many stating that they would like to see an improvement in the look and feel of the heart of the city.

Launceston Mayor Albert van Zetten said that once the Quadrant had been completed and the community could see the physical changes, it would be difficult not to get excited by the city’s new facelift.

‘‘Everything’s going to be done in stages and council has put $3 million into this current budget,’’ Alderman van Zetten said.

‘‘It’s a $36 million project overall for the city heart and we’re hoping to get federal and state money as well.

‘‘For the City Heart project, we’ve broken it down into stages and one of them is Dicky Whites Lane.’’