According to tender documents, the works will include a total resurfacing of the car park, including new line marking, landscaping, curbing and drainage, and tree planting.

The car park is one of the city's busiest, serving two major supermarkets and almost a dozen surrounding small businesses, but has been a frustration for many.

The car park is presently riddled with potholes, cracks and uneven surfaces which has been a cause of concern for vehicles and pedestrians alike for some time.

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According to the tender documents, the car park will have more than 400 spaces with a new pedestrian thoroughfare running straight from Woolworths to Little Bridge Street, rather than the existing zig-zagging version.

Existing trees outside Woolworths and at the northern end of the car park will be retained and 11 will be removed, but 43 new trees will be planted, including red boxes and spotted gums.

Businesses in the area welcome the upgrades as they worry about some customers' ability to navigate the car park.

The Source Bulk Foods owner Janet Smith said she was particularly concerned for her older customers.

"I am constantly concerned about them, particularly leaving the store and going over to their cars because of the irregularity in the car park itself and the bumps and the risk that it poses to them," she said.

"Often, I will walk them to their cars just to make sure they're okay. The number of people I've seen trip and fall and the ambulance has to come, it's awful."

Ms Smith said the current state of the car park could deter some people from shopping in the area, but businesses should be kept in mind regarding any works.

"I think that if the upgrades mean that it's going to be safer for customers and aesthetically more appealing, then it will definitely attract more customers, providing that the upgrades don't reduce the number of car parks," she said.

"With the latest lockdown, we have been impacted significantly and I would really hope that they consider that and do as much night work as possible... just out of hours where possible just to really try to consider us and the impact."

Ballarat mayor Daniel Moloney said the improvements were primarily for amenity, rather than safety.

"While nobody wants to drive over potholes, it's pretty annoying for everyone, in car parks, they should be at low speed, and it's far worse having these potholes out on the road and that's usually where our priority lies but this one has got to a point where it does need an upgrade."

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