Two million visits as Ipswich Central revitalisation marks milestone

Published on 07 November 2025

Two million visits, dozens of community gatherings and a plethora of awards.

This has been the story of the transformation of a derelict mall to a bustling and lively hub as Ipswich’s lauded Nicholas Street Precinct marks the first anniversary of the opening of its keystone Venue building.

Ipswich Mayor Teresa Harding said Nicholas Street Precinct is a triumph of urban renewal, bringing life back to the city centre with a design that can be held up as an exemplar for people-first public spaces.

“The opening of the Venue building in November last year with key tenants General Public, HOYTS Ipswich, miniBOUNCE, Anytime Fitness and, more recently, Vapiano has amplified the success of the Nicholas Street Precinct exponentially,” Mayor Harding said.

 “The people of Ipswich and beyond have voted with their feet, with more than 521,000 visits to the Venue building recorded over the past 12 months.

“Across the wider precinct, there were 2.12 million visitations in that timeframe, or almost 6,000 per day – figures that have grown by about 30 per cent since the precinct opened in 2020.

“It’s a far cry from the old rundown mall that was essentially deserted, abandoned by customers and businesses, receiving as few as 22,000 annual visits.

“Twenty-one businesses now operate across the council-owned precinct, creating dozens of jobs and injecting an estimated $1.25 billion into the local economy by 2032.

“Aside from these impressive numbers, industry experts who have bestowed the precinct with multiple accolades have hailed its example of placemaking, where people are prioritised over vehicles and can enjoy the social and health benefits of pedestrianisation.”

Ipswich City Council Economic and Cultural Development Committee Chairperson Councillor Pye Augustine said Nicholas Street Precinct has emerged as the primary location for community events.

“Nicholas Street Precinct has been Ipswich’s hive for community connectivity as 30 events were held across 67 days over the past year,” Cr Augustine said.

“The precinct’s civic square Tulmur Place has been a great place for the community to gather for a range of festivals and events including St Nicholas Precinct over Christmas, SPARK Ipswich, Sustainable Living Festival, Ipswich Film Festival for Youth, Handmade Expo, Supercars fan event, Park and Pose, Ipswich Plant and Lifestyle Fair, Ipswich Dog Day, Let’s Get Spooky Halloween event, markets and many more.

“One of my highlights of the year came when about 6,500 people packed out the precinct for a day of culture and connectedness for our NAIDOC Week event, while our city’s main ANZAC Day march also incorporated the precinct.

“During school holidays, children have roamed the precinct with excitement for activities such as Dinosaur Discovery and Play On!, and Ipswich Children’s Library and Ipswich Central Library have been major drawcards for all ages.

“These wonderful experiences and offerings have cemented Nicholas Street Precinct’s standing as our inclusive, vibrant and world-class city heart, as we look to continue the momentum of this growth over years to come.”

Division 3 Councillor Marnie Doyle said the people of Ipswich are proud of the transformation of their city centre.

“With the opening of new dining offerings Vapiano and Hello Harry, more than 326,000 visitations were recorded in Nicholas Street Precinct in September – a nine per cent increase on the previous month and a 161 per cent rise compared to September last year,” Cr Doyle said.

“I’m particularly proud the heritage-listed Hotel Commonwealth has renewed life after council’s decision to invest more than $16 million in its meticulous and award-winning restoration.

“The success of the Nicholas Street Precinct has been the result of council’s bold vision, as well as our hard work and determination to deliver it.”

AWARDS WON BY NICHOLAS STREET PRECINCT IN 2025

  • Best Public Building or Social Infrastructure Development Award at the 2025 Property Council of Australia Innovation and Excellence Awards
  • Development of the Year – Urban Regeneration at the 2025 Urban Developer Awards
  • Best Commercial Refurbishment/Renovation over $30 million (Venue building) at the 2025 Master Builders Queensland Awards
  • Gold medal for Wayfinding at the 2025 Better Future Melbourne Design Awards
  • Best Redeveloped Hotel – General Division (Hotel Commonwealth) at the 2025 Queensland Hotels Association Awards.

PAST AWARDS WON BY NICHOLAS STREET PRECINCT

  • 2024 Minister’s Award for Urban Design and the Movement and Place Award
  • Landscape Architecture Award at the 2022 Australian Institute of Landscape Architects Landscape Architecture Awards
  • Best Tourism and Leisure Facilities over $10 million Award at the 2022 Master Builders Queensland Brisbane Housing and Construction Awards
  • Innovation award (Ipswich Children’s Library) at the 2022 Local Government Managers Australia Queensland Excellence Awards
  • Community Service Delivery Award (Ipswich Children’s Library) at the 2022 Local Government Professionals Australia National Federal Awards
  • Social and Community Infrastructure Award at the 2021 Urban Development Institute of Australia Queensland Awards for Excellence.
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