People from various interests were at the launch of the Casey Activity Centre. From left, Casey mayor Neil Lucas, Casey Arts and Cultural Reference Group representative Tony Purcell, Araluen Ward councillor Rob Wilson and interested architect Ben Genser.THE City of Casey has to be on a winner with its planned ‘Casey Activity Centre’ at Fountain Gate.
The council has been inundated with questions about how the process will evolve, but no criticism or opposition to the concept plan.
Casey mayor Neil Lucas officially launched the plan on Friday and the council began seeking expressions of interest from developers on Saturday.
Councillors have come together as one, officers are excited about the project, and an air of excitement was present at the launch.
The council has five hectares of what is probably the most valuable piece of real estate outside Melbourne in one of Victoria’s most prized precincts.
My view is that developers will come from everywhere to jockey for a slice of the cake on this one.
The council can offer 25,000 square metres of retail floor space, equal to one third of the busy Westfield Shopping Centre and right next door.
This makes me wonder what Westfield is thinking about all this, because it would have done its figures, just as Casey has.
Perhaps further extensions were on a longrange plan for Westfield.
Perhaps it will be happy to have the council bring more traffic to the precinct.
The combination of Westfield, the Casey Activity Centre, including the Casey ARC, and other surrounding business activity could see the place alive 24 hours a day so everyone should win.
We are seeing more and more projects built by private enterprise and the asset being handed back at the end of a given term. This happened with Citylink, and the Casey Hospital, and I believe it can work for Casey.
This means that the developer will build the entire precinct and the council will receive as part of the pay off a new civic centre, art gallery and performing arts centre.
Then at the end of 50 years the precinct reverts to council ownership. Now, that’s real good budgeting.
