A milestone in the Toronto Streetscape Master Plan works has been reached with the planting of the first two trees, weeping lillypillies, and the installation of new pavement on The Boulevarde.

The works are part of Stage 1 of Lake Macquarie City Council’s $4 million plan to modernise the main street.

President of the Greater Toronto Chamber of Commerce, Stephen Cull, said although disruption to local businesses was inevitable during the works, retailers could see the bigger picture.

“All of the feedback has been positive about the works,” Mr Cull said.

“And the chamber is very positive about the council’s approach, and the way the works are being done.”

He said the council had been working at night, and doing all it could to minimise the impact on businesses.

The work site is currently marked by temporary fencing, witches’ hats, and barriers. Sections of the road surface are dug up.

But when the Lakes Mail visited the site this week, locals didn’t seem to mind, and focused instead on the positives.

A couple stopped to admire the new trees. Others looked down at the new pavement, appreciating the smooth, level surface that was once a buckled and warped walking hazard.

Mr Cull said locals were eagerly awaiting the council’s parking plan for the street.

“We’re hoping that they’ve included some of the recommendations that were made,” he said.

One of those changes would see part of the garden at the lake end of the street reclaimed for parking spaces, and the advent of angle parking to replace the parallel parking that new exists in that area.

“Doing that could double the car park spaces available there,” Mr Cull said.

“What we would also like to see is vehicle access from The Boulevarde through to the Aldi car park area,” he said.

The new trees replace nine giant figs whose root systems cracked the pavement and damaged infrastructure.