MAYOR Col Murray hopes Friday’s foodie-event on Fitzroy Street was a sign of things to come for the recently-upgraded CBD-area.
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While Cr Murray said the project wasn’t finished yet, councillors unveiled a small plaque on Friday evening to commemorate the Fitzroy Street works as Taste Tamworth festivities got under way.
Cr Murray said people were a bit slow to arrive to the Flavours on Fitzroy event, which started at 5.30pm, but a stronger crowd emerged as the evening wore on.
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“It probably should have started at 7pm, in hindsight,” he said.
There has been a few test-runs for events on the new pedestrian mall, but the mayor said Friday “had a really good feel about it”.
“That was a snapshot of what’s possible on any Friday, and how that space can be used into the future,” he said.
Council has approved a motion for regular Friday-evening road closures on the block, making it easier for events to happen on Fitzroy Street.
About a dozen food stalls were packed into the block between Peel Street and Kable Avenue, heralding the beginning of council’s annual foodie-festival, Taste Tamworth.
The street was opened to pedestrians in December and Cr Murray said there was still work to be done.
“I think people acknowledge that it’s not finished yet,” he said.
“We’re yet to put up some shade and staff are looking at options at the moment.”
There was a plaque unveiled on Friday, but he said council weren’t “trying to have a grand opening”.
“We didn’t want to overshadow the start of the Taste festival,” he said.
Council events manager Barry Harley said the possibilities for Fitzroy Street space was only limited to imagination.
The upgrade was divisive in 2017, with council copping criticism from business-owners and residents, but general manger Paul Bennett said the disruption would be worth it.
“It is painful when you do these projects because it does create an enormous amount of disruption,” he said at the end of 2017.
“I feel for the businesses down there, but they now get the ongoing benefit of having that space at their doorstep and they’ve not had to make any additional contribution.”