There’s nothing wrong with street art, like this one on the corner of Queen Street and Dumaresq Street in the heart of Campbelltown.
But it’s debatable whether it’s what will bring back shoppers to the town’s famed main street, which has been in decline for close to 20 years now.
That is why it’s good to hear that Campbelltown Council is strongly considering moving the HJ Daley library to the three level Spotlight premises which have been vacant for some time.
As part of the deal done for the site of the cancer care centre (currently under construction), the Hurley Street library site will be used for parking, and is now required much earlier than first anticipated.
Complicating the issue is that the operators of the Dumaresq Street cinema want out of their lease as soon as possible, so those premises are also now being considered as another option for the library.
The Spotlight Plaza however should be the one the gets the green light because of the huge numbers it will bring to Queen Street.
Early reports suggest that a library in such a strategic location could be a game changer for the main street.
Spotlight Plaza is very close to the railway station and bus interchange – a five minute walk at most – giving it an advantage over the Dumaresq Street premises.
Talking about game changers, it’s also worth remembering that directly across from the front of the Spotlight Plaza will one day be the entrance to the gleaming new Campbelltown RSL.
Work is expected to start soon on that transformative project, and combined with the impact of a big library in the same vicinity it could be the start of a thriving new journey for Queen Street.
Currently everyone heads to Macarthur Square, which is justified given what that retail and food hub has to offer Campbelltown residents.
But it would be a much more balanced situation for all concerned if the north end of the Campbelltown central business district was just as attractive to the punters.
As far as we’re concerned, bring it on!
