James Street Cultural Precinct

The James Street Cultural Precinct is one of Esperance’s most significant community redevelopment projects, designed to bring together arts, culture, heritage, community spaces and public amenities in a renewed central precinct. The project aims to create a safer, more welcoming and more accessible destination for locals and visitors, while honouring the heritage of the former railway precinct.

The Shire of Esperance is progressing the project through a staged design and development process, supported by guidance from H+H Architects and informed by stakeholder and community input.

Architect design of the new James Street Precinct. View from the Esplanade

Sustainability

The Precinct is being designed with sustainability embedded from the outset, including opportunities for solar energy generation, improved climate response, efficient building performance and reduced long‑term operational impacts.

Safety and Accessibility

The design applies Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design (CPTED) principles, improving passive surveillance, lighting, sightlines and pedestrian movement.

Heritage Protection

A conservation‑based approach ensures significant heritage assets, including the Goods Shed, are protected, with changes made only where needed to support long‑term use.

The Goods Shed (Esperance Museum) will be respectfully repurposed after completion of Stage 2 of the new Museum, which adjoins the future library facility.

The redevelopment will introduce a mix of contemporary and traditional uses, including:

food and beverage offerings
cultural‑art museum space
museum storage and back‑of‑house areas
maker space
digital creative space

Key heritage principles include:

preserving the original gable form
protecting view lines toward the water
exposing original internal structure where appropriate
designing surrounding buildings so they do not overshadow the heritage form
using the proportions of original openings to guide any new access points
incorporating interpretation of the former rail alignment into the landscape

These approaches ensure the Goods Shed remains recognisable and respected as a former Customs and Goods Shed while becoming more accessible and engaging for visitors.

Landscape design is an important part of the project. The review identifies which mature trees are being retained and how new planting will complement the revitalised precinct.

The design has been adjusted so the following significant trees remain:

Two mature Norfolk Pines (Araucaria heterophylla)
Large Sheoaks (Casuarina equisetifolia) located at James Street and The Esplanade

These trees provide long‑established shade, character and identity for the precinct, linking the existing landscape to the new public realm.

The design review confirms that the pond, created in the mid‑1970s during redevelopment of the former railway goods yard, will be retired as part of the precinct’s renewal. The Shire acknowledges that many community members have fond memories of the pond.

In its place, the project will deliver the Local Garden, a greener, more sheltered and more accessible space designed for community use. Removing the pond also improves visibility, safety and connectivity through to the internal Communal Square.