Road cones were out, signs were up and contractors went about their work in George St yesterday as an upgrade in the central city hit a critical phase.
The project was a decade in the planning and some construction work has been carried out since late last year, but yesterday it moved to its area of focus - George St.
Otago Sports Depot owner Brent Davies said retailers in George St were "going into an unknown".
He said he understood work had to be done, but made a call for some form of financial relief for businesses that were facing disruption.
Initially, old underground pipes will be replaced in the block of George St between Moray Pl and St Andrew St and the makeover in that first block, including paving, is scheduled to be essentially completed in October.
Mr Davies said the retail environment was difficult and anything that made it harder was unwelcome.
"We want to make it easy for people to come to town," he said.
The Dunedin City Council could allow motorists in the area to have the first half hour or hour of parking free to assist business custom, Mr Davies suggested.
The council has not ruled out such a scheme, marketing efforts are planned and digital workshops have been run.
Businesses paying a fee for outdoor seating could have this waived, central city plan project director Dr Glen Hazelton said.
A buy-local campaign would start next month, Dr Hazelton said.
Bivouac Outdoor Dunedin manager Bryan Fitzgerald was positive about the upgrade.
"It looks fairly innovative," Mr Fitzgerald said. "We’re looking forward to a refresh."
He thought the makeover would give the city a more cosmopolitan look.
Mr Fitzgerald was happy with the concept, including each block in George St having its own theme.
Meanwhile, substantial contracting work has continued in nearby Filleul and Hanover Sts.
Among the challenges is letting the public know businesses remain open. The council facilitated signs to communicate this.
No 8 Distillery operates from the corner of Filleul and Hanover Sts and director Julien Delavoie said foot traffic was low.
Problems had been caused by Covid-19 and then the sight of construction activity had seemingly put off potential visitors, he said.
"We know the long-term picture is good for us," Mr Delavoie said.
Staying afloat in the meantime was the challenge, he said.
Dunedin Noodle House manager Samnang Tep said business had been quiet in Hanover St.
Both he and Futomaki restaurant staff member Susan Alagao highlighted lack of nearby parking as a problem.
Dr Hazelton said the council was open to ideas about drawing people into the central city.
He expected a return to work sites, once people felt safer concerning Covid-19, would help.
In George St, a blessing was conducted yesterday morning ahead of construction work starting.
Dunedin Mayor Aaron Hawkins said in a social media post the upgrade would be disruptive in the short term, "but it’s going to be worth it".
"The team are working to minimise disruption as much as possible and to do what we can to support affected businesses both during and after the construction phase."
Related Stories
Comments
This would be so much easier if DCC had sorted decent parking out first. I feel sorry for the retailers.
How many diners park their cars outside eateries? Parking does not bring in customers- good service and products do.
Most diners will TRY to park within walking distance. If there is no parking then there is limited access, especially for those from out of town or with mobility problems. Why do you think shopping malls are so successful? Not everyone lives within walking distance of George St.
How many parks near eateries? They need parking for their customers - good parking brings customers in.
Between the current and future roadworks around so much of the central city and the price gouging by Meridian Mall with their recent price hike on parking, I no longer feel any need to go near the centre of the city.
Thanks to the number of businesses relocating to accessible parts of town it's getting easier and easier to avoid the centre of the city without even having to shop online.
I agree with the replacement of old not fit for purpose infrastructure. Everything else done has been to suit the Mayor's agenda. He is getting very sly with slipping things through process with smoke and mirrors lately. $60 million plus we will never see good from, in a time where inflation is at a record level, is not the sort of leadership I want.
I'm increasingly frustrated by the voices of business owners who seem convinced that the bulk of their custom is arriving by private vehicle parked right outside their doors. Do these businesses not value my custom when I arrive on foot or by public transport? Do they not appreciate the income from those who find an easy park further up the hill and run a few errands in one go? It seems that there needs to be much more research on the stats to back up either side of the argument, but I found some interesting thoughts in this article: https://www.newsroom.co.nz/ideasroom/parking-kills-businesses-not-bikes-...
When shoppers arrive on foot the business owners don't know how they arrived, if they didn't see them park "right outside their doors". Anti-car crusaders use this lack of info to support their contention that shoppers and businesses are unaffected by lack of parking.
And business owners use the lack of info to suit their own crusade! Nobody wins when we don't have sufficient knowledge of what's really happening.