Central Maitland traders are bracing for construction workers to move back into The Levee precinct.
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Maitland City Council announced that work on the Riverlink Building, which will connect the shared pedestrian and vehicle zone in the old High Street mall to the bank of the Hunter River, will begin this week.
But news of the impending work has attracted a mixed reaction from nearby traders.
Health Save Pharmacy retail manager Kellie Dyson said the end result would be worth the disruptions nearby businesses would have to endure during the demolition and construction phases.
“Hopefully it’ll bring more people into the Levee,” she said.
“So far the improvements [council] has done have brought a lot more people here.
“Because we are right on the corner where they are doing it, we know there is going to be a bit of a disruption, but hopefully that will lead to more people coming in.”
Johnston’s Shoes owner Michael Johnston said he was disappointed that work would begin in the lead-up to Christmas, which was a traditionally busy time for many traders.
“I hope there’s no dust and overkill before Christmas,” he said.
“It would be nice to have the place in a reasonable state, have a good Christmas and really get stuck into it in February.”
Fairfax Media reported last year that some traders believed the ongoing construction near their premises had hurt their businesses.
Mr Johnston said, a year after stage one of the upgrade was complete, business had picked up.
“I can’t say it’s booming, but we are where we should be trading,” he said.
Three buildings will be demolished to make way for a large archway structure that will contain amenities and new outlets, including a cafe, near the intersection of High Street and Bulwer Street.
In a statement released late last week, Maitland Council said the city would work closely with traders to ensure there was minimal disruption for them during the work.
“There is a lot of work to do between now and when the project is completed, however the end product will be an incredible space that adds to the range of leisure options already available in Central Maitland,” general manager David Evans said.
