The setbacks have been numerous, some of them beyond anyone’s control. But central Maitland’s long-anticipated answer to a decline in retail interest has arrived.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
The Levee precinct opens to traffic on Thursday afternoon.
It’s part of a bold program that aims to bring people back to shops in the CBD.
In a world of Westfields and Stocklands, The Levee offers a point of difference.
Eight months past deadline contractors have finished the first stage and traffic will return to a section of High Street off-bounds since the Heritage Mall opened in 1988.
People will be able to make use of short-duration car parks to grab what they need. It’s the sort of convenience that harks back to the good old days.
But the architects hope that the end product will tempt shoppers to linger a little longer.
Perhaps grab a coffee and sample some of the boutiques. The retail tide has, thankfully, already started to turn.
There are fewer and fewer shop vacancies that attest to greater positivity.
It all contributes to a greater mix of shops that will in turn attract more people and boost the bottom line of those embattled retailers who campaigned stridently to reopen High Street.
The next stage promises even greater prosperity and interest from tourists.
Maitland City Council will open up The Levee to the Hunter River with a $9.9 million grant.
The revived precinct has been years in the planning.
Council should be congratulated for seeing it through.
Now it’s over to you to support those retailers.
Why not have a look? You might be pleasantly surprised.
