Top: Final days for the Loot outlet in McWhirters. Above: police handle a possible drug overdose on the steps of McWhirters.
Is this the Valley of slow returns....
Another bout of business closures is damaging Fortitude Valley’s bid to establish a sound day economy to even remotely match its nightime and weekend reputation as a pulsating entertainment precinct.
Paradiso fashion store in the TCB closed over the Christmas-New Year period, another of the smaller fashion outlets that dot Ann Street also gave it away, and McWhirters will suffer a setback when its biggest retail tenant Loot closes its doors at the end of this month. Just metres from the Loot shopfront, lease signs stand where two separate pharmacies
have tried to make a go of business in the past year only to close their doors. Paradiso was a long-term TCB tenant that had already been established and so missed out on a free fitout and year’s rent after 10 new fashion outlets were lured to the revamped centre several years ago. Some of those have closed since the free rent period ended, and the centre already has some three lease signs on retail spaces on the ground floor apart from the now empty Paradiso shopfront.
The normally slow festive season and the ongoing Chinatown Mall makeover delays have not helped local businesses, and The Independent understands that a number of stores dipped into their overdrafts to see them through to 2010.
Valley Chamber of Commerce CEO Carol Gordon told The Independent the chamber had been concerned about the day economy for sometime. “It is the heart of the Valley that is still of most concern … but some major improvement are taking place.
“Big solutions are generally needed for large problems and this is the approach the Valley Chamber has taken to improve the day economy,” she said.
Long-term Valley businessman Joseph Origliasso who has run shops in the Valley for 15 years, including for the last three-and-a-half his budget fashion outlet, nvy, in McWhirters near the main entrance off the Valley mall, said the Valley mall no longer had a day economy to speak of.
“I have seen a change in population over the years, and workers have been replaced by residents. And contrary to popular belief, a worker spends more than a resident does,” Mr Origliasso said. He believes 2009 had been tough on all local traders, from fashion shops to fast-food outlets.
“I estimate that my takings are down about 30 percent over the year,” he said. Local business closures were becoming quite common. “I reckon by March we’re going to see another five or seven closures. I don’t want to sound alarmist but it’s a fact of life.”
As The Independent was talking to Mr Origliasso, he parted some frocks hanging near his counter and pointed to the front of the Valley Mall and said: “That’s also part of the problem.”
The paper took the photograph (above) of several mall police beat officers giving aid to a young man who had collapsed on the steps leading up into McWhirters. He had possibly overdosed on drugs.
Mr Origliasso also questioned the look of the local business area. “Someone needs to enforce the building codes and force landlords to clean up their shopfronts,” he said.
Ms Gordon said the Valley Chamber agreed that more workers were the key to improving the day economy. “The chamber’s overriding objective to increase the number of office workers moving into the area as this is primary way of increasing the customer base for the ‘day economy’.
“The Valley is starting to connect the dots, making it easier for shoppers, workers and visitors to the area. A lack of street parking is still a major issue but we are lucky enough to at least have three car parking stations which other areas lack.
“Importantly, the Valley Chamber of Commerce truly welcomes the BCC initiative to have the Rapid Bus Transit system in place this year. This will allow more people to efficiently commute West End to Newstead and return via Wickham and Ann streets in the Valley with stops planned every 800 metres or so.
“Obviously this mean changes to road conditions for vehicles and deliveries and these are important and serious issues to be addressed with a workable solution found. But the most important benefit will be more people will be able to easily move around the area between the precincts and it is the heart of the Valley, ie the Valley Malls area that has the most to benefit with more potential customers.
“Fortunately the area’s connectivity is starting to be addressed by both the council and state government as part of the major planning for the area and the Valley is still leading the way with new large-scale developments that will bring the office workers and along with this new retail and small business opportunities.
“It will be interesting to see what Lend Lease does with Valley Metro as the railway station located within this shopping centre continues to play a vital role in the revitalisation of the Valley Malls area. Businesses are still continuing to relocate to the Valley.”
The Independent also emailed local councillor David Hinchliffe to comment on the possibility that the massive publicity given to the Valley as a “loud and proud” entertainment zone – Australia’s first such designated precinct – might have inadvertently damaged the Valley’s brand, with would-be shoppers reluctant to travel to the area in the daytime. Cr Hinchliffe is holidaying overseas and had not responded as this issue went to press.
