Closed path cuts into businesses’ incomes
Frustrated business owners in the Invercargill CBD say they have been losing customers and up to 20% income for six months due to a closed footpath.
On September 6, a large fire damaged the historic Pall Mall building in Dee St, injuring a young boy and forcing several businesses to move out.
A portion of the Dee St footpath in front of the building, and one traffic lane on Dee St, also in front of the building, had been closed off to the public ever since, with shipping containers blocking access.
Numerous business owners on the same side of Dee St say pedestrians see the blocked off portion of footpath and cross the road, resulting in far fewer people entering their shops further up the street.
Licensing Trust chief executive Chris Ramsay said revenue had dropped by about 20% at its Waxy’s bar since the portion of footpath was closed adjacent to its bar.
The trust had spent extra money advertising the fact Waxy’s was still open for business, he said.
He was not naive to the challenges an earthquake prone historic building posed, but said the decision making needed to be sped up.
Leaving the issue hanging was doing “no favours” to the nearby business owners. “Make a call and get on with it.” Miss Vintage Lighting owner Anne-Maree Thomas said she and other businesses had contacted the council and had been told it was complicated.
“These guys are on good money to not make it complicated. It’s quite easy, you open up the pathways. This is now six months since the fire.”
She had lost a “lot of foot traffic” into her shop, she said.
“Nothing is being done and we are losing money.”
Hemp Health shop owner Paul Wright said it was a “joke” the footpath had not been reopened, adding he had endured a 20% drop in business, while Sinderellas Adult Shop owner Vanessa Scully said business had dropped about 10% since the footpath closed.
“Get it open.”
Invercargill City Council group manager Erin Moogan indicated a solution was imminent.
The building owner had addressed the immediate dangers of the fire-damaged building, while the council, SouthRoads and Waka Kotahi had come up with a plan to ensure safe pedestrian access and traffic flow could continue, Moogan said.
“The agreed approach will utilise ramps and will route pedestrians through containers, and will allow two lanes of traffic to open.
“A traffic management plan is now being drawn up. This will be implemented as soon as possible.”
It was a complex situation, health and safety considerations had to be considered, and there were challenges around dealing with containers or fencing on a state highway, Moogan said.
The council’s building services and roading teams had shared progress updates, when appropriate and available, with nearby business owners, she said.