The Nicholas Street Precinct’s civic plaza, Tulmur Place, will officially open on Saturday November 28.
On that day, visitors will be able to walk all the way down Nicholas Street to tour the plaza which overlooks the Riverheart Parklands.
Currently the final art installations are being completed, but all major building and landscaping works are already finished.
The official opening of Tulmur Place will begin with a traditional smoking ceremony by Gateebil Gurrnung Aboriginal Corporation’s Yugara Traditional Dancers.
During a tour of the plaza on Tuesday, Cr Harding said that ‘Tulmur’ was the Indigenous name for Ipswich.
“There was a lot of consultation done with the Indigenous communities here and they were very sure they would like something named ‘Tulmur’,” she said.
“And we thought, do we call the building that? But Tulmur is really about the space and I think this is a beautiful family space that will bring people together and we thought that would be appropriate to our Indigenous heritage here.”
At the opening event the precinct’s monumental primary art piece, Standing, as well as the Evolve series of Indigenous artworks will be unveiled.
Opening day will also see the zero depth water play zone activated for the first time for the public and will spark the start of a full program of events in December.
Live music and a series of pop up restaurants and cafes are set to provide food and drinks from November 28 to December 20 in the new area.
The Future Flavours Food Fair will also return on December 5, which will see Nicholas Street filled with food trucks.
Ipswich Central Redevelopment Chair Cr Marnie Doyle said the opening weeks will set the tone for how the space can be utilised by the community.
“This area will be the centrepiece of the redevelopment for regularly programmed events and small grassroots activities, through to major cultural and music events,” Cr Doyle said.
“Local talent will be able to perform here as well as being a focal point for community celebrations.”
Cr Harding described the redevelopment projects as “the most exciting” in the history of Ipswich.
“As a fully council owned asset, all Ipswich ratepayers are essentially shareholders in the redevelopment,” she said.
“The new city heart is a once-in-a-generation redevelopment and we are very proud of the results.
“This council is ensuring we keep step with the rapidly growing population and having a vibrant Ipswich CBD is something we are delivering with each stage that opens with the Nicholas Street Redevelopment.
“We are putting the infrastructure in place and as the reinvigorated CBD reopens it will create new jobs and be an important part of building the economy post Covid-19.”
The next stages of the $250 million redevelopment will be the Ipswich Central Library opening on December 7, the new Ipswich City Council administration building, children’s library and customer service centre, which is expected to open in mid-2021 and the final stage involving dining, entertainment and retail will open in late 2021.