Some work has started in the Knox block to prepare for replacement of underground pipes and ahead of a makeover above ground, but the Dunedin City Council has not settled on the number of car parks that will be retained.
Retailers spoken to by the Otago Daily Times were alarmed by what they considered to be inadequate provision for parking and some said they were not sure what was happening.
Council infrastructure and development general manager Simon Drew said designs were publicly released in April and they included two-way traffic in the block, new pavers, street lights, street furniture and planters.
"In response to feedback from businesses in the area, we have made some adjustments and compromises to the original design by reducing the amount of additional amenity space to retain more parking," Mr Drew said.
"We continue to engage with businesses and work towards practical compromises.
"However, any additional parking would come at the expense of more space for improved pedestrian safety or public transport."
Mr Drew said work in the block would take about 10months to complete and it had been brought forward to enable some to be done while students were away from the city during summer.
Excavation work was happening this week to allow for replacement of a water main.
Tree removal was carried out in the block yesterday.
Mr Drew said the council had received mixed feedback about that and new trees would be planted.
Trees were being removed progressively as contractors worked on each block.
Many of the trees were towards the end of their lifespan, others were in the wrong place for the new layout or they had to be removed to allow pipes to be replaced, he said.
Timber harvested from their removal would be provided to community groups such as the Otago Woodturners Guild.
Knox block retailer Andrew Farmer, from AJ’s Shoe Repairs and Key Cutting While-U-Wait, was one of those worried about the council’s parking plans for the area.
Project decision-makers did not seem to understand the needs of the block, he said.
The council has defended its communication.
"We’ve been in regular communication with businesses on this block leading up to this work," Mr Drew said.
That had included pre-construction workshops and letter drops.
"It is acknowledged that the work is disruptive. However, it is important to maintain critical infrastructure such as water pipes and we are working with individual businesses to minimise disruption as much as possible."
