SAVING RITZY CENTRE
ONE of the Gold Coast’s flashest shopping centres must use the coronavirus pandemic to reinvigorate its tenant mix, says one of its long-termers.
Marina Mirage, owned by Adelaide billionaire Con Makris, has faced a downturn since the unprecedented restrictions.
But Glass restaurant owner Pat Gennari said it could be an opportunity for renewal at the landmark mall.
“People come for what they want and obviously there is nothing there that they want,” he said.
“There are some tenants there that have been in for a really long time. Should they really be there?” he said.
THE SELECTION IS PRETTY POOR. PEOPLE COME FOR WHAT THEY WANT AND OBVIOUSLY THERE IS NOTHING THERE THAT THEY WANT
PAT GENNARI (ABOVE)
MARINA Mirage must come out of the COVID-19 crisis with a renewed offering to get punters through the door, tenants say.
The landmark Gold Coast shopping centre, which is owned by Adelaide billionaire Con Makris, has experienced a sharp downturn since coronavirus-related restrictions were put in place, with some visitors likening it to a “ghost town”.
The virus has led to an even worse vacancy rate than last year when there were a raft of closures, including King Crab Co and Jack’s Coffee Roasters.
Now the newsagency has shut its doors for good and the centre’s popular restaurants such as Fellini and Glass have remained closed during the outbreak with question marks over whether Fellini is gone for good.
Glass owner Pat Gennari said the retail closures represented an opportunity to refresh the tenant mix.
“The selection is pretty poor. People come for what they want and obviously there is nothing there that they want,” he said.
“There are some tenants there that have been in for a really
long time. Should they really be there?”
Alex Vasile, who opened Revived Couture for a threemonth period at the centre prior to April, agreed.
Mr Vasile said Marina Mirshould be looking to offer a different mix of stores to appeal to more customers.
“When you tell people you have been to Marina Mirage they are telling you, ‘what for’?”
Mr Vasile’s store stocks a number of different brands such as Elvis & Kresse, a “sustainable’’ brand that uses old fire hoses destined for landfill to create luxury bags and accessories.
Mr Vasile said the store had a month-to-month lease upstairs in the centre until April when it was terminated by mutual agreement with the landlord.
He said he emailed management last week asking for vacancies they could move into at the end of June.
“We are definitely interested in having one downstairs,” he said.
“I have noticed even the newsagency has gone.”
Mr Gennari said Makris Group hadn’t yet offered rent relief but he was confident that would be forthcoming.
He was interested in renovating Glass, similar to what he did with Broadbeach’s Koi in terms of the investment, if Makris proceeded with the long-promised revamp.
Makris last month lodged a development application with
Gold Coast City Council to almost double its footprint, allowing for bigger vessels, and greater access to restaurants.
A spokeswoman for Makris said it was working through all rental arrangements “tenant by tenant” based on submissions it had received.
“If there are further concerns, our centre manager is on site daily to meet with individual tenants and to help generate meaningful solutions that address their needs,” she said.
Con Makris paid $52 million for Marina Mirage in 2013, which has tenants including bespoke jeweller Calleija, Calvin Klein and Christensen Copenhagen.
The centre last underwent a redevelopment, at a cost of $40 million, in 2009.
In 2018 Makris Group chief operating officer Jason Makris said a three-phase redevelopment, including a high-end marketplace, was in the pipeline but the planned refurbishments did not happen.