Starting the conversation - revitalising the Geelong CBD

The City of Greater Geelong with Mayor Cr Stretch Kontelj OAM recently hosted a high-level forum aimed at revitalising the Geelong Central Business District (CBD).

The forum brought a range of people connected to Central Geelong into the one room - with local Councillors, elected State and Federal representatives from both sides of politics, landowners, investors and developers joining together to identify the critical issues affecting the Geelong CBD and the change needed to overcome them.

An industry panel including Hygge’s Development Director Jess Newton started the discussion by outlining many of the key challenges in developing and revitalising Central Geelong.

Other members of the panel included Cameron Hamilton | Hamilton Group Gareth Kent | Preston Rowe Paterson (Geelong) John Wardle | Founder Wardle Architects and Samantha Ramsey | Ramsey Property Group.

Lively round table debate and discussion was facilitated by multi-award-winning architect and urban designer Rob Adams AM, who summed up Geelong’s potential:

Like Melbourne in the 1980s, a significant central city residential population is the key. Given its waterfront location, rich heritage, civic facilities, university and proximity to Melbourne, it is well placed to become Australia's most attractive regional city.

The forum successfully generated positive and ambitious ideas to fast-track needed change to revitalise and unlock development potential in central Geelong.

Work is now underway by the City of Greater Geelong to collate all the insights gathered from the forum to determine priorities for advocacy and the next steps for implementation.

Images - provided by the City of Greater Geelong of the industry panel and round table discussions at the forum.