The City of Fremantle is celebrating the opening of the first retail tenancy in the Walyalup Civic Centre.
Wear2 is an independent streetwear store, specialising in vintage clothing, surfwear, footwear and classic rock tees and shirts.
Wear2 owner Jay Wild said moving into a new store in the Walyalup Civic Centre was an exciting step for the business.
“It’s been 13 years now that I’ve been running the business, and Freo’s been great to us. We’ve met lots of amazing people and have got lots of loyal customers,” Mr Wild said.
“Our old shop was next to the Spicers car park, so with the planned redevelopment of that site, moving from there was inevitable.
“I just want everyone who comes into the new shop to love it, and for it to be a brighter, fresher version of what we were doing before.
“The benefit of this place is that it’s a new building with higher ceilings, more space and it feels great to walk into.
“It’s a really nice area, and between the council and Sirona what they’ve done to this precinct has been fantastic.
“The conversation around Freo has changed quite a bit over the past six months from being down and out to one of real positivity.
“I’ve signed on here for ten years, so I guess that says a lot about my confidence for the future of Fremantle.”
City of Fremantle Director of City Business Matt Hammond said the opening of the Walyalup Civic Centre’s first commercial tenancy brings the City another step closer to its ultimate vision for Walyalup Koort.
“The City’s goal with the renewal of Walyalup Koort was to reactivate the civic heart of Fremantle and make it a more attractive and vibrant place to be,” Mr Hammond said.
“The commercial tenancies are an important aspect of the Walyalup Civic Centre, firstly because they provide the street level activation we’re after and also because they’re an additional revenue source for the City.
“It was always going to take some time to realise the full benefit of the renewal of Walyalup Koort, and the opening of Wear2 is an encouraging step.
“We’re working with a number of interested parties on the other commercial spaces that are available in the Walyalup Civic Centre, but we also welcome expressions of interest from anyone who may be interested in one of our commercial leasing opportunities.”
The Walyalup Civic Centre was a key component in the $270 million renewal of Fremantle’s civic heart undertaken by the City of Fremantle in partnership with Sirona Urban.
In addition to the Walyalup Civic Centre and library, the City of Fremantle has also rejuvenated the public spaces around Walyalup Koort, including a new Fremantle-themed adventure playground.
Sirona’s contribution to the project included the redevelopment of the old Myer and Queensgate sites to create offices for more than 1,800 state government workers and the FOMO food, art, amusement and retail precinct.
