THE VISION is to restore Hunter Street to a "traditional high street" and an attractive destination for locals and visitors in Newcastle.
It took its next steps towards coming to life on Monday, with work beginning on revitalising the streetscape on Hunter Street between Thorne and Wolfe streets, and on Wolfe Street between King and Scott streets.
City of Newcastle (CN) said the section of the Hunter Street Mall in the East End would undergo its "most significant beautification in several decades" with local contractor Daracon on the tools.
The East End Stage One Streetscape Masterplan, shaped by community consultation, will see an extension of the two-way cycleway on the northern side of Hunter Street, new paving, roadway and footpaths.
The next stages of the Hunter Street Mall revitalisation project will deliver new street lighting, upgraded furniture and fresh landscaping.
Lord mayor Nuatali Nelmes said it would "transform the look and feel of the area" with a mix of trees to enhance the character and biodiversity.
"The community's vision is to reinstate Hunter Street as a traditional high street and as an attractive destination for locals and visitors to enjoy, with enhanced outdoor dining and unique local retail opportunities," Cr Nelmes said.
"Generations of Novocastrians have fond memories of the mall and I'm proud that we are restoring this historic part of our inner city to a higher standard than many of us can remember."
She said more than $6 million had been invested in revitalisation works and this next stage, at an estimated cost of another $6 million, would make Hunter Street Mall more accessible.
Deputy lord mayor Declan Clausen said the latest works would unlock housing and investment in Newcastle.
"This public investment supports more than $1 billion in private investment through the East End development, which has been breathing new life into our city, creating hundreds of new homes while respecting our city's landscape," he said.
He said the inner city had been a "story of urban decline" in the past but CN was committed to revitalising it.
Behind the scenes work will also happen, with upgrades to the existing watermain and stormwater infrastructure.
