We’re upgrading Cronulla Town Centre starting with the Plaza in Winter 2023.  Our Stage 2 work will refresh the Town Centre between Kingsway and Purley Place.

Cronulla Street, Cronulla - Town Centre, Pedestrian Mall.

Project timeline

Project start:  January 2019

Expected completion: December 2024

Project background

We’re excited to update our community that a refresh of Cronulla Town Centre is starting in Winter 2023. The first stage of work will be the Plaza upgrade. This work will extend from Purley Place to the Town Square (amphitheatre area) and be completed by June 2024, weather dependant.

Following the Plaza upgrade, work will start in the Town Square (amphiteatre area), extending from the amphitheatre to Kingsway. This work will start in Winter 2024.

Consultation with our community

Council consulted with the local community about the Cronulla Town Centre Upgrade in 2020. This consultation followed the endorsement of the Cronulla Town Centre Public Domain Masterplan in 2018.  Find out more here.

Early stages of the Town Centre Upgrade that have now been completed are Ocean Grove (completed 2018) and Kingsway upgrade (completed 2022).

Project Scope

The Plaza upgrade work will provide a refreshed space that is comfortable, safe and inviting for people to shop, stroll, gather and meet.

The work includes:

  • New paving
  • Seating options throughout the plaza
  • Improved lighting
  • Two new destination playgrounds
  • New trees in a variety of species.

Watch our fly-through of the play spaces

Construction

Access to businesses, pedestrian and emergency access will be maintained at all times during the work.

We will advise affected business owners / operators about the work.

We appreciate your patience while we carry out this important upgrade work to improve Cronulla Town Centre.

For more information about the project please contact the project team.

Funding

This project is fully funded by Sutherland Shire Council.

Construction Enquiries

For enquiries in Cronulla Plaza please contact CA&I's Community Liaison Officer

menios_mitakidis@ca-i.com.au
Ariel view of the whale tail play equipment Artist Impression - Northern play space
Southern end of Plaza showing seating and tree placement Artist Impression - Southern Plaza view from Purley Place
Aerial view of Plaza showing trees, light poles and seating Artist Impression - aerial view mid Plaza
View of play slide and shade strucutres Artist Impression - Whale tail play structure northern end of Plaza

Information updates

Find out more about the Review of Environmental Factors Appendices

Frequently Asked Questions

Council has been working towards an upgrade of Cronulla Plaza for some time. Work completed in 2018 within Ocean Grove was an early stage and is the best indication of what a ‘refreshed’ Cronulla Plaza will look like. We are excited the upgrade work will start in Winter 2023. It will provide a refreshed space that is comfortable, safe and inviting for people to shop, stroll, gather and meet. The work includes new paving, seating, improved lighting, new trees and two new play spaces that cater to different age groups.

The upgrade of the Cronulla Town Centre will happen in stages, some have already been completed:

Stage 1 – Ocean Grove Upgrade – Completed 2018

Stage 2A – Kingsway Upgrade – Completed 2022

Stage 2B – Cronulla Plaza – Winter 2023

Stage 2C – Cronulla Town Square – Winter 2024.

At Council we only remove trees when needed, as keeping a ‘green’ Sutherland Shire is important to us and our community.

We have had an arborist assess all trees in the plaza. Existing trees were found to be stunted due to the outdated root management measures in place.

We are replacing all trees and there will end up being more trees in the Plaza than there is now. The replacement tree species comprise of a range of native, evergreen and deciduous species suitable to the plaza and town square environment. All new trees and palms will be planted to fit in with new circulation (pedestrian and vehicular) requirements and to provide long term shade and amenity to the plaza. They will be planted with current best practice root management systems and have both short-term irrigation for establishment and long-term passive irrigation from surrounding drainage to ensure they reach their full long-term potential.

Play areas have been a feature of Cronulla Plaza since the last redevelopment in the 1980s. As part of the community consultation completed in 2020, it was identified that there was an overwhelming desire from the community for traditional play within the Plaza.

Events usually held within the Cronulla Town Centre will be relocated to other locations within the Sutherland Shire during construction.

More information on upcoming events can be found by visiting the council website

https://www.sutherlandshire.nsw.gov.au/play-and-explore/council-events

Absolutely! Safe pedestrian access within the plaza will be maintained at all times during the work. Council encourages the public to continue to support local businesses and enjoy Cronulla Plaza as you usually would.

The existing public toilets located within the Cronulla Town Square will be available to the general public throughout the plaza upgrade.

There are a number of heritage listed buildings located within the Cronulla Town Centre. In order to appreciate the significance of these buildings to Cronulla’s history, heritage forecourts will be introduced in front of each of the heritage listed buildings. The intent for these spaces is to provide open areas free of large structures for community gatherings and occasional larger events. These areas include the Banc (Former Commonwealth Bank), Post Office, Cronulla Theatre, and the Cronulla Commercial Building (8-12 Cronulla Street).

Council initiated a community consultation and engagement program beginning with the Cronulla Town Centre Public Domain Masterplan in 2016. This involved consultation with the general community, establishment of a Stakeholder Reference Group (SRG), direct engagement with local businesses and the Cronulla Chamber of Commerce. The SRG consisted of the Mayor, ward councillors and members of the public and business community. The aim of the SRG was to work towards ensuring the new design for the Cronulla Town Centre is responsive to local needs, delivers value for money and makes a positive difference for our local community.  Council further consulted with the local community about Stage 2 of the Cronulla Town Centre Upgrade in 2020.

The Cronulla Town Centre layout was developed through community consultation and is designed with the intent to create engagement hubs including:

  • Heritage forecourts – Open community gathering areas in front of heritage buildings throughout the plaza and town square.
  • Playground/ Special Precincts – Play/ active community hubs housing traditional play and public seating. Traditional Play is a key feature and informed through community engagement.
  • Public Spaces – Dedicated spaces for informal and formal outdoor dining, temporary and permanent stalls, event marketplaces and more.
  • Pedestrian Accessibility Zone – thoroughfare zones exclusive to pedestrian movement and shopfront visibility free from obstructions.

The upgraded Town Centre layout incorporates dedicated trading zones predominantly reserved for long- and short-term retail trading opportunities, including alfresco dining, retail trading and event stalls. The location of these zones will allow for clear throughfare through the Town Centre and will maintain shop-front visibility.