An education precinct and the redevelopment of a much-loved Launceston CBD site is a unique way to bring education and business together.
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That's according to the interim executive officer of Cityprom Amanda McEvoy, who was reacting to the news of a proposed $80 million creative industries hub.
"We believe any development in the city is going to be a positive thing," she said.
"But bringing together education and business in this unique way needs to be commended."
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The hub has the backing of new creative industries investor group New Creative, which is headed up by the founder of education institution Foundry.
A new purpose-built campus for Foundry will be the centrepiece of the proposed new precinct.
However, other elements will include the refurbishment of the long-empty former Birchall's site by the City of Launceston council.
Ms McEvoy said businesses and pedestrians to the Brisbane Street Mall were disappointed the former Birchall's building had remained vacant for so long.
"This will create a lot of opportunities to cater to students and people who will come into the CBD by bus," she said.
"It's a good reminder of just how many fantastic businesses there are in the mall."
Ms McEvoy said the bus mall solution would also be a good resolution for those businesses who had been impacted the in the past by the proposed move of the mall up the top end of St John Street.
Cityprom has been working with the council and its members since the redevelopment of the Brisbane Street Mall to think of ways to encourage more food businesses.
"The availability of food businesses in the mall, in the eyes of the public, is very important," she said.
"But investment like this will also support those businesses who are already on the fringe areas."
Ms McEvoy said the proposed precinct would bring more foot traffic to the mall and the centre of town and that would only support small business. She said the support from the government also showed confidence in the future of Launceston's CBD.
"It shows that we can feel secure that we will have a vibrant CBD for the future," she said.
The business community has been hard hit by the coronavirus pandemic, but Ms McEvoy said she had been empowered by the ingenuity shown by many during the lockdown period.
And it was this kind of investment that would be needed into the future to get the small business community back on its feet.
The creative precinct was unveiled on Saturday at a media briefing attended by all levels of government and representatives from New Creative and Foundry.
The new build is expected to cost $80 million and is supported by the state and federal governments and the City of Launceston.