Inner City News – Carlton on the comeback as new Carlton Inc. president commits to rejuvenation
Sergio Alderuccio, the newly appointed president of Carlton Inc., has vowed to return his beloved suburb to its “former glory” with street beautifications and new events on the table.
Mr Alderuccio, who has had a long and passionate connection with Carlton, said he was privileged and excited to take on his new role.
Carlton Inc. is the traders’ association for the Carlton business district, and it aspires to represent the interests and views of the community.
Mr Alderuccio promised to work closely with traders and the City of Melbourne to ensure Carlton was a go-to attraction for visitors.
“The traders are open minded. We want to pursue less, announce less, but have more results rather than have lots of issues and lots of talk,” he said.
“We’ve had a lot of discussions about Argyle Square and activating that area with the possibility of creating a market.”
“We’ve had car shows that have worked out to be really successful, so we’ll probably continue that during the year.”
Mr Alderuccio, who runs a business management consultancy in Carlton, said he hoped to adopt a “narrow focus with a view to really moving things along”.
“I’ve always been in love with Carlton. We want to restore it to its former glory.”
He said a “major focus” would be enhancing the streetscape of Carlton, particularly in Lygon St, which is famous for its restaurants, cafes, bars, and lively atmosphere.
Mr Alderuccio wasted no time getting to work after attending a round table meeting in December with Lord Mayor Sally Capp and other local stakeholders, with community and safety being a key item of conversation. He said increasing CCTV and police patrols were also raised with Cr Capp during a walk along Lygon St.
Also joining Me Alderuccio were board members from Carlton Inc. including its keen executive officer Philip Mansour as well as Salvation Army welfare Major Brendan Nottle and Victoria Police community liason officer Nick Parissis.
Major Nottle said plans were under way to launch a Salvos cafe in Drummond St, Carlton, where meals and practical support would be provided to the vulnerable. Lygon Court management and Cinema Nova have teamed up in offering a preview showing of the new Bill Nighy film, Living, to raise funds for the Drummond St cafe.
The preview will be held on February 28 at 7pm at Cinema Nova. Tickets are $35. Bookings at lygoncourt.com.au.
In response to the meeting, Major Nottle said he found it to be “very productive” and believed the Lord Mayor’s participation was a “genuine act of goodwill”.
Cr Capp said cleaning, safety and activations remained the “top priority” for Carlton traders.
“We’re doing everything we can to keep our city safe for residents, workers, and visitors – whether it’s shining a brighter light on city streets or installing new bollards or upgrading our CCTV network,” she said.
“We work closely with Victoria Police and the Salvation Army to patrol the city and suburbs seven days a week, cracking down on anti-social behaviour to keep the community safe.”
Cr Capp said beautifying the street with greenery would see the canopy cover on Lygon St increase from 20 per cent to 40 per cent, while street sweeping and deep cleans on Lygon St would be rescheduled tri-monthly.
Looking ahead, Mr Alderuccio said, “I really want to make Carlton a favourite place for people to go and gather.”
Brendan Rees, Journalist.
