Radical plans for a thriving mini-CBD at Bentley have been revealed by the state government.
Radical plans for a thriving mini-CBD at Bentley have been revealed by the state government.
For the second month in a row, the state has used avant garde imagery to sell its vision to develop thriving and bustling commercial districts, at least in the metropolitan area.
Last month, it used Dubai-esque buildings to show off its planned development of the Perth waterfront.
In revealing the potential look for the previously announced more than six-fold expansion of the renamed Bentley Technology Precinct, artist’s impressions of the development focused very much on the architectural opportunities and liveliness of what is being termed a destination.
The plan for Bentley is definitely an awakening of an area that was established by the last Labor regime in the 1980s and was guided by highly regarded cabinet minister Mal Bryce, one of the rare figures from that period of government to consistently win praise from industry.
State Industry and Enterprise Minister Francis Logan clearly wants to stamp his name into the same distinguished book by committing to grow the precinct to 314 hectares and turn it into an information and communication technology-focused hub.
In August last year, Mr Logan announced funding of $8.5 million for the initial infrastructure required for what he described as a long-term project.
This week, he said $2.2 million has been allocated to the construction of a high-speed fibre network in the existing 42 hectare park linked to the CBD to provide initial connection speeds of one gigabit per second.
The state is clearly attempting to generate the campus feel of universities, like nearby Curtin University of Technology, or some of the larger private sector research and development centres in the US, with hopes the precinct would create a culture of innovation.
“The Bentley Technology Precinct will become a destination where business meets research and research has access to business; where knowledge is shared among companies and partnerships are started,” Mr Logan said in a statement.
“Cafes, bars and restaurants will become boardrooms and central shared facilities will provide mentoring and support for companies at all stages of commercialisation.”
