Government money is flowing to Katoomba at the moment, with three projects about to kick off.
The tired Civic Centre will benefit from a $1.5m grant from the Building Better Regions Fund.
Works planned include external repainting, new lighting, improved security and toilet facilities, public art and improved connections to the Cultural Centre.
Artwork and architectural design works are currently in the process of being commissioned.
Some $870,000 will be spent on improving the town centre footpaths, kerbs and gutters. Work will start near the pedestrian crossing on Gang Gang Street and continue up the eastern side of Katoomba Street.
It will start early next year and take about four months to complete.
And a third grant, worth $145,000, is for regional tourism recovery post-bushfires. Council will use this money to put art installations in five of the town's laneways, in partnership with Toolo.
Expressions of interest will be sought for the artworks next year. Each piece of work will be exhibited for between two and 10 years.
"These major improvements to the busy town centre of Katoomba will help provide a welcome economic boost to the area. They will benefit both locals and tourists to our region," the mayor, Mark Greenhill, said.
"The upgrade of the Civic Centre will inject a new lease of life into this under-used area. Art installation will enhance the Blue Mountains as a City of the Arts destination and is in line with our goals of supporting the local arts industry and artists, as well as local business, after a prolonged difficult period."
Meantime, the creation of a Katoomba master plan is underway. At a briefing to the recent meeting of the Katoomba Chamber of Commerce and Community, council employees Will Langevad and Kim Barrett outlined how the process will work.
Council will shortly advertise for people to join a reference group to work on the plan.
Katoomba chamber president, Mark Jarvis, said the government grant money was most welcome.
"The [footpath] tiling seems expensive but it will be easy to clean and not show marks - it will continue down Katoomba Street and will certainly improve the look of the street," he said.
He noted that at a recent consultation with council, the most popular idea was a vertical garden on the blank brick wall.
There was also general agreement that the toilet facilities were in urgent need of upgrading.
"One of the most exciting projects is the laneways project. There are 12 laneways in Katoomba... We can probably do about five of those. It will be good for tourism."
