There was solid, staid, even dour, Princes St, where the banks, finance houses, insurance companies and serious businesses had traditionally made their homes. Dunedin’s grand Stock Exchange was a key resident in the area until its scandalous demolition in 1969.
That somewhat entrenched view of monochromatic Princes St versus vivid George St has taken a hit in more recent years.
Princes St seems less grim these days than a few decades ago, with an interesting mixture of shops and cafes running most of the way down into the Exchange. At the same time, George St has had its trials and tribulations, most notably its major redevelopment, which looks great where it has been completed but has seriously put a crimp in business by reducing foot traffic numbers and causing car-parking chaos during construction.
Eyeing up George St’s woes, just five minutes away, lies South Dunedin. Although ageing, it provides an eclectic mixture of shops, eateries and businesses, and may be enjoying something of a renaissance due to the big-box retail outlets nearby, including The Warehouse and Mitre 10 Mega.
Looming large on the horizon now is the arrival of Kmart in South Dunedin, expected to open in the middle of the year.
Developer Martin Dippie has irked some shop owners in the central business district by suggesting the new store will allow South Dunedin to be seriously competitive with George St. He then went further, saying he thought South Dunedin was already outpacing the CBD.
Mr Dippie would think that, of course. As the owner of Mitre 10 Mega and developer of the Kmart site, he already has a huge stake in the suburb and knows how to generate interest in Kmart’s advent.
As much as his comments may have caused a degree of umbrage, he makes some very good points. The flatness and expanse of South Dunedin lend itself to easier access to stores and for more convenient car parking than in the central city.
Even so, views have been expressed on social media that the planned number of carparks for Kmart will still not be enough, with Mr Dippie suggesting at one stage shoppers could also park at Mitre 10 Mega.
Despite his comments that South Dunedin can now be considered the largest shopping precinct in Dunedin, Mr Dippie does not appear anti-CBD. He makes it clear the centre of town is an important area for specialist shopping and vitally important to the city, though is worried it is "getting more difficult and more expensive" to access.
George St retailers have leapt to its defence. Golden Centre Mall manager Nina Rivett hinted at a "major international signing" coming to the street, and said Kmart would be good for the city but it would be "complementary rather than competition".
Void Clothing co-owner Debbie Lundy thought South Dunedin would need significant investment to make it a nicer area to shop in, while jeweller and city councillor Brent Weatherall, a vocal opponent of upgrades to George St before he was elected, said the financial impact of the new Kmart on the CBD was hard to calculate.
He also said Dunedin enjoyed a unique central city shopping experience, compared with other New Zealand cities with large suburban malls.
We think Dunedin has done the right thing in recent decades by eschewing the development of those malls. Compared with Christchurch especially, shopping in a vibrant main street rather than a huge air-conditioned barn is an absolute pleasure.
Should we be worried about competition between central Dunedin and South Dunedin? Not really.
It is a great sign of confidence in the city to have two major retail hubs. South Dunedin has had its problems, and will continue to do so, and it is really pleasing to see it booming. If anything, big-box retailers will need to be careful not to swamp the smaller shops and detract from the suburb’s character.
George St remains something to be proud of and will return to its bustling self once the redevelopment is complete.
