The Town of East Fremantle has embarked on a strategic planning process and is accepting submissions from business and the community on how best to revitalise the area.
According to the mayor, Jim O’Neill, the town centre on Canning Highway is ripe for redevelopment.
The low-lying commercial buildings at the end of Silas Street were built in the 1970s as an aged-care facility and currently house an eclectic mix of retailers and health care professionals alongside an IGA supermarket.
Mr O’Neill said the town lacked a heart and needed a place where people could meet, ideally within a low-rise mixed-use residential, commercial and retail hub comprising a town square, cafes and alfresco dining.
“People are always walking through there because it’s not a centre where people can stay. It’s a shopping centre, not a town centre,” Mr O’Neill said.
East Fremantle CEO Stuart Wearne said if the town centre was redeveloped for community benefit, it would likely consider entering into a joint venture on the development or offer concessions such as bonus plot ratio.
“The key issue is that the precinct is majority owned by one person, and he and a handful of other owners would have to agree for anything to happen,” he said.
Mr O’Neill said the precinct was governed by a three-storey height limit, however it could look at different options, including high-rise development provided there was community support.
Council is expected to complete its five-year strategic plan by November.
