Two million visits mark major milestone in Ipswich Central's revitalisation

Ipswich's once-derelict mall has officially cemented its transformation into a vibrant civic hub, with the Nicholas Street Precinct recording more than two million visits in the past year as it marks the first anniversary of its flagship Venue building.

Ipswich Mayor Teresa Harding said the milestone reflects the city's bold investment in people-focused urban renewal.

"Nicholas Street Precinct is a triumph of city-making, breathing new life into the heart of Ipswich with spaces designed for people, not cars," Mayor Harding said.

"Since the Venue building opened in November last year with tenants including General Public, HOYTS Ipswich, miniBOUNCE, Anytime Fitness and more recently Vapiano, the precinct's success has soared. More than 521,000 visits have been recorded to the Venue building alone in the past 12 months."

Across the broader precinct, visitation reached 2.12 million-an average of almost 6,000 people a day-representing a 30 per cent increase since the precinct's initial reopening in 2020.

"It's a remarkable turnaround from the deserted, rundown mall that once attracted as few as 22,000 visitors a year," Mayor Harding said.

"Today, 21 businesses operate across the council-owned precinct, supporting dozens of jobs and projected to inject an estimated $1.25 billion into our local economy by 2032."

She said the precinct's growing list of industry accolades reflects its success in creating a welcoming, pedestrian-friendly environment with strong social, cultural and health benefits for the community.

Economic and Cultural Development Committee Chairperson Councillor Pye Augustine said Nicholas Street Precinct has also become the region's go-to destination for community events.

"Over the past year, the precinct has hosted 30 events across 67 days," Cr Augustine said.

"Tulmur Place has become a beloved gathering space for festivals and celebrations including St Nicholas Precinct, SPARK Ipswich, Sustainable Living Festival, the Ipswich Film Festival for Youth, Handmade Expo, Supercars fan day, Park and Pose, Ipswich Plant and Lifestyle Fair, Ipswich Dog Day, Let's Get Spooky Halloween, regular markets and more."

Cr Augustine said standout moments included a crowd of 6,500 attending the NAIDOC Week celebration, while the city's ANZAC Day march also incorporated the precinct.

"Families have flocked to school holiday programs like Dinosaur Discovery and Play On!, and both the Ipswich Children's Library and Ipswich Central Library continue to draw strong visitation," she said.

"These experiences have firmly positioned Nicholas Street Precinct as Ipswich's vibrant, inclusive and world-class city heart."

Division 3 Councillor Marnie Doyle said residents are proud of the transformation.

"With the addition of new dining venues Vapiano and Hello Harry, the precinct recorded more than 326,000 visits in September-up nine per cent on the previous month and 161 per cent on September last year," Cr Doyle said.

She highlighted the restoration of the heritage-listed Hotel Commonwealth as a key achievement following council's $16 million investment.

"The success of Nicholas Street Precinct reflects council's bold vision and the hard work put into bringing that vision to life," she said.

Awards received by Nicholas Street Precinct in 2025

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

Previous awards

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