Ipswich Mall in 2017 - where the people are not. Credit:Tony Moore But they say things are beginning to change. "We still believe," Khadija Hussan said. Ms Hussan said they went to a recent information session about the city heart redevelopment. "And we still believe in it and hopefully they are going to make it."

Beck and Jaydah from North Ipswich at Riverlink. Credit:Tony Moore Most of the Ipswich Mall – beside Ipswich train station – will be demolished from July allowing a $50 million new Ipswich Library, a new civic area and a water park beside the Bremer River to be developed over two years. The overall $150 million plan will see the old Woolworths department store demolished and the Ipswich CBD mall once again opened to the Bremer River for the first time in 30 years. The Icon building on Brisbane Street. It now has more than 1000 state public servants. Credit:Tony Moore Nicholas Street – covered over as the mall – will return as a one-way street and connect up to Bell Street near the Ipswich train station.

The Ipswich Mall – described by traders as "a graveyard" – will be ripped up from August. 'We still believe': Ipswich Mall traders Khadija Hassan and Victoria Doka stand in front of empty shops. Credit:Tony Moore "Demolition works soon to commence to Woolworths area and part of car park to create the site for new office building. Expression of Interest is due to be released this week, and tender packages to be released by end of March," Ipswich chief executive officer Jim Lindsay confirmed with Fairfax Media on Thursday. Agreement was signed on Tuesday night for a new 16,000-square-metre Ipswich City Council building valued at $120 million. The new Ipswich with a new library (front centre), council chambers (centre) and parkland (left).

But the first step will be opening the mall to Bell Street at ground level and installing regular "pop-up markets" to bring people back to the Ipswich Mall. Ten years ago Ipswich City Council approved a new retail centre called Riverlink directly across the river from the old Ipswich CBD. Riverlink has flourished and is now full of brand-name retailers, young families and restaurants. However, the old Ipswich CBD just froze and died. Ipswich is the second regional Queensland city – after Maroochydore – to build a new CBD. Ipswich mayor Paul Pisasale said the long-term restructure of the central Ipswich was not a quick fix.

"This has been going on for nearly 15 years," Cr Pisasale said. "People think you can do it overnight, well you can't. "If I can put the rates up 20 per cent I could, but we can't. We've got to do it by being smart." Ipswich City Council took a $45 million loan from Queensland Treasury Corporation in 2009 and transferred that money in a loan to Ipswich City Properties to redevelop the city's heart, because private-sector owners were loathe to spend money in the city centre. Ipswich City Properties is 100 per cent owned by Ipswich City Council and in December 2016 had assets – i.e. inner-city Ipswich land and properties – of more than $30 million.

Over at Riverlink, one young family from North Ipswich said they had begun to notice the change in the centre of town. "I think Riverlink has just taken off in the last five to eight years and left the city for dead," Ben said. However, his partner Beck said new cafes were beginning to emerge in the old part of town. "There is a lot more foodie places there," she said. "Over here at Riverlink are all the brands you know, but over there is a bit of a resurgence of the foodie type of stuff." What is about to happen?

1. Demolishing buildings along Bell Street and building an inner-city park opposite Ipswich station, renovating Murphy's Pub and having pop-up markets and food carts. Union Place in Bell Street will close in June 2017 to begin the new connection to Nicholas Street. Begins: June 2017; finishes April 2018. 2. Building a new Civic Plaza beside the Bremer River; including the new library, terraced gardens and council building. This faces Riverlink. Begins: August 2017; finishes September 2019. 3. The Laneway Precinct – towards the northern Brisbane and Ellensborough Street block; where two- and three-storey buildings will be built around a "green piazza". It wants to attract units and student accommodation.

Begins: June 2019 as development partners confirmed. 12 years to build a new Ipswich city heart February 2005: Riverlink at North Ipswich gets go-ahead and promises to protect 140-year-old rail heritage. 2005-09: Failed attempts to lure business to Ipswich Mall as River Link takes off. One overseas owner threatens to board up the centre after Council questioned their motives.

Ipswich Mall and Ipswich City Square begins to fade. 2008-09: Bligh Government promises to shift 1200 public servants to Ipswich by 2012. March 2009: Ipswich City Properties formed to buy out Ipswich City Square and the Mall. Ipswich City Properties operates on a 15-year, $45 million loan from Ipswich City Council, which the council borrowed from Queensland Treasury Corporation. December 2011: Nine-storey Icon building begins on Bell and Brisbane streets.

It was sold to Cromwell Property Group for $93 million. December 2013: Queensland Government agrees to fully lease the Icon building for 15 years for public servants. It promised 1200 public servants by October 2014. January 2015: Icon Building has 840 public servants, including 359 from Brisbane. July 2016: Ipswich City Properties decides to redevelop Ipswich Mall. March 2017: Icon building now has 1028 public servants, working either full-time or part-time, from the Departments of Education, Health, Workplace Health and Safety, Infrastructure and Local Government, communities and SEQ Water. National Disability Insurance Scheme staff move in in two weeks.

March 9, 2017: Expressions of interest are called for the redevelopment to begin.