Retailer hit by a further bus hub delay
A DUNEDIN business owner says he is devastated but not surprised after the announcement of another delay in completing the city’s bus hub.
Yet Smiths Sport Shoes coowner Greg Lapwood says he is determined not to let the latest delay kill his Great King St business.
The unexpected need to move a key water pipe was now expected to push back completion of the hub until next year, the Otago Regional Council (ORC) announced yesterday.
The facility was originally set to open next month.
The latest delay comes after an announcement in April the project would be delayed because contractors had indicated the work would take longer than expected.
Council support services manager Gerard Collings said challenges moving a key water pipe due to ‘‘ground conditions’’, along with the locations of underground wiring and other infrastructure, were behind the latest delay.
‘‘While the actual delays to siteworks are relatively minor, the timing of the project in relation to the holiday season will mean that the bus hub will not be operational until the new year.’’
Affected businesses were informed yesterday, he said.
Among those businesses was Smiths Sport Shoes, which coowner Mr Lapwood said was losing $1000 per week, thanks largely to the loss of parking and difficulty accessing the store.
‘‘I’m pretty angry and devastated . . . but determined it’s not going to kill me off.’’
He had applied to the Dunedin City Council for rates relief, but was declined, and shifting locations would be difficult, he said.
‘‘If I go to the main drag, my rent will triple.’’
Mr Lapwood acknowledged the bus hub would increase foot traffic, but he was unsure if it would benefit his business.
‘‘Are those 2000 people a day going to buy shoes?
‘‘I hope so.’’