The first phase of a £30m regeneration scheme in Plymouth will open next month.
The Armada Way regeneration project, which includes an amphitheatre, is moving at pace and within budget, city centre champion Cllr Mark Lowry (Lab, Southway) told the council's cabinet.
Zone 1, stretching from North Cross to Mayflower Street, started last October and is nearing completion. It includes 10 trees flanking the performance area on each side.
All three zones along the boulevard, which leads towards the Hoe, are slated for completion by June next year.
Cllr Lowry remarked that this phase has been "somewhat less of a challenge" compared to previous undertakings.
Previous public realm endeavours at Old Town Street and New George Street encountered setbacks due to contractor changes and intricate ground investigations, while the long-anticipated overhaul of Armada Way was mired in controversy.
Plymouth garnered national attention when the original regeneration efforts started in March 2023 with the felling of over 100 trees during the night sparking a public uproar.
The scheme was stopped and led to court hearings over whether the council had acted lawfully, which a judge later dismissed.
Last year, the project resumed, albeit at more than twice its initial budget. However, it now promises 169 new trees, a play area equivalent to five tennis courts, fresh walkways, cycle paths, seating, and spaces for pop-up events. It is among the nation's largest public realm projects.
The council has formulated an action plan to improve public engagement and the execution of major projects, following a scathing independent review over the drama.
Cllr Lowry said: "We do get caught up in trees for obvious reasons with this project and we wish it didn't start where it did, but we are moving on at pace, there is a very professional team up there now and they have learnt from the hardship of doing Old Town Street and New George Street."
He continued: "I'm pleased because a lot of those people (in the team) got a lot of kicking previously for what went before, even though in many respects it was not in fact their fault."
Martin Ivatt, the council's regeneration and placemaking manager, noted a "total change" in public response to the scheme since the completion of other streets.
"It's gone from more adversarial to very friendly and very positive," he said.
The new additions to Armada Way include mature magnolias, field maple, ginkgo and elm trees that are resistant to Dutch Elm Disease, as well as Persian ironwoods that exhibit colour changes in autumn and have coloured bark.
The first zone features 1,000 square metres of wildflower turf, and once the entire project is complete, it will host 15,000 herbaceous perennials.
The paving will be granite, and an ornamental rill will water the trees at night. The 'rain gardens' form part of a drainage system designed to prevent flooding.
Temporary bridges are linking walkways with shops to ensure that commerce continues uninterrupted during underground construction.
Council leader Tudor Evans (Lab, Ham) highlighted the impact of a superior public realm project on an urban setting, adding: "It's not just investment in bricks and mortar but it's about having confidence in the city".
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