Struggling traders fronting and near the Chinatown Mall makeover may have to wait much longer to start recouping losses from the much-delayed project – with local councillor David Hinchliffe declaring it may not be fully reopened until Chinese New Year next February.
“All this council tells me is that it will definitely be ready to be opened in time for Chinese New Year next year, which is the middle of February,” the Central Ward councillor told The Independent this week.
“I expect that at least part of it should be opened by Christmas but in fact the Lord Mayor had promised it would be open in time for the Ekka, three months ago.”
The Lord Mayor’s Office has told this newspaper in the past that the reopening date remained early December, but requests for this to be reconfirmed had not been answered by the time this issue went to press.
Traders were unhappy when work ceased several weeks ago for the mall to be used as a theatre stage for Valley Fiesta, with several telling The Independent that the event would not bring them any business anyway.
Traders have also complained that pre-Christmas bookings have already been affected by uncertainty over the finishing date.
Cr Hinchliffe renewed his call for council to reconsider some form of compensation for traders, at the very least for the three months the project has been delayed.
“The work is already three months overdue. There is noise, dust and smell from the development, so how any of these traders can do is business is beyond me,” Cr Hinchliffe said.
“I know for a fact that Chinatown Carpark has lost hundreds of thousands of dollars. I still think the council should compensating businesses for at least the period they have gone over-schedule.”
STOP PRESS
The Lord Mayor's Office provided the following statment after the 11 November 2009 print edition of The Independent had gone to press.
We expect the Mall to be open in December, with a few finishing touches like artwork to be completed in January.
The major cause of delays has come from utility companies taking this opportunity to get in under the Mall and upgrade and future proof their services too. The lack of knowledge about the location of these utilities and the hardness of the rock under the mall has made this a very lengthy and slow process.
The need to keep access to the shops and the car park open has also restricted us to doing much of the work one section at a time.
We have also done a lot to support the traders during the Mall upgrade, which we are spening $8 million on without requiring them to chip in like we have with other upgrades of shopping strips.
This includes a $300,000 promotional campaign letting people know that China Town Mall is still open for business and waiving outdoor dining fees during construction.
Economic Development Chairman Cr Jane Prentice said that she expected most of the Mall to be open by Christmas.
"In fact I think the Christmas opening time will work in the traders' favour as curious shoppers come for a look at the new China Town Mall," Cr Prentice said.
