Street furniture, part of a $116,000 Dunedin City Council project to re-establish the area's retail and social role in the city, was installed late last week in Lorne St.
Once installations are complete, the space, off King Edward St, will accommodate a new children's play area, a drinking fountain, picnic tables, rubbish bins, and bench seats, with specimen trees and plantings planned.
City development manager Anna Johnson said other aspects of the South Dunedin retail strategy, of which the project was part, were also under way.
In February, the council announced a one-off $50,000 fund for building owners to use for cleaning and painting facades, and maintaining verandas.
Ms Johnson said the first few applications for grants were being processed, and painting was expected to start in the next couple of weeks. She said "Systems", the first of what she hoped would be a series of temporary art installations in the retail centre, would take place on Friday.
"A significant amount of work on finalising a preferred concept plan for physical improvements to King Edward St has been completed after public consultation on options late last year."
South Dunedin Business Association President Jane Orbell said the project was a good example of how co-operation could achieve results, with what was a "bleak, windy wasteland" better used.
