At the latest count, there were just a few hundred residents in the heart of a city of more than 107,000.

In a phrase deployed more than once by Ballarat's mayor Ben Taylor, you could shoot a cannon up the middle of Sturt Street after 9pm.

It is not the way planners, local government officers or the business community would like it. They want more people living in the area, more movement in the evening, more people visiting the restaurants and bars, more footfall in retail spaces - many of which are struggling in the face of the internet juggernaut.

So much so that it is, in fact, written into the Ballarat Planning Scheme. The strategy is there - "promote and capitalise on opportunities" for... infill redevelopment.

It is happening in pockets around the city. There are plenty of projects dotted around town. In the centre of the city, not so much.

So will 2020 be the year that changes? One sign is tucked just out of sight of people arriving in the CBD down Victoria Street.

After many years - and much controversy - the foundations, and the actual shells of buildings, are now taking shape for the Marvella Heights project.

Five new houses should be ready by Easter, the first of up to 85 dwellings that may eventually appear on the site.

Luke Veal of Jens Veal agents who are behind the sale, reports that all five have been sold. The agents say there has been "terrific" interest.

It will be done over several years in various stages, with 13 residences likely to be done by the end of the year.

Yet if the St Paul's Way development is the sign of the potential changes in the CBD, it also represents the challenges developers face in getting projects over the line.

"The planning process is not for the faint hearted," Mr Veal said.

He remarked on the amount of time that passed from the time the land was bought to the first sod being turned - more than five years in this case.

Several people connected to the property industry said they would like to see more people in the council's planning department.

While many report the council's planning department is good to work with, people also report that it is under-resourced.

In its annual report, the planning department had substantially more delays in approving works.

Another development that tells a tale is the Nightingale project, which is earmarked for Davey Street, just off Webster Street. It comes with much fanfare, its environmental and social credentials burnished after three successful developments in Melbourne.

Councillors approved it with a substantial majority. Yet at a planning meeting where its was approved, there were emotional scenes as the daughter of an 87-year-old resident tearfully outlined the impact the building would have on her mother.

Those stories will happen again, a sign of the tension between old and new. However, for the City of Ballarat's director of infrastructure and environment Terry Demeo, it represented something of a watershed moment.

"It was a sign there was a genuine market for medium density housing," he told The Courier.

He said he could see "rapid change in the space" over the next year.

Joseph van Dyk of Hygge Property - which has masterminded several such developments in Ballarat, including Nightingale - says he believes Ballarat is undergoing a "paradigm shift".

The impending completion of Gov Hub towards the end of next year will only increase demand grow as hundreds more government workers base themselves in the city.

The approval of the city's Bakery Hill Urban Renewal masterplan will be another factor. The council has committed to pumping in $15m into the area over the next few years, with a view to tempting developers' interest.

Will it work? The Courier hears substantial interest has already been expressed.

So 2020 may not be the year the CBD fills up with new residents. But it may well be a time when the future shape of the city begins to be a little clearer.

Bakery Hill

The council's vision for the area - which covers almost 17 hectares in the centre of the city - was approved by councillors in October.

Nightingale

Almost certainly the most talked about new project in the past year. Neighbours are appealing the council's approval with VCAT, so its progress this year will depend on the outcome. Prior to news of the appeal, developers had hoped to start building by mid way through 2020.

Bridge Mall

Change is coming for one of the most significant retail spaces in the city. New designs for the area - working around plans to reopen the road - will go before council in 2020. It is also a space to watch for new development plans, which could start taking shape this year.

St Paul's Way

Now under construction, this long-awaited project will take several years to complete but sales are already under way. The latest The Courier heard the mix of apartment buildings and townhouses will make up 85 dwellings.

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