On page 3 today we bring you the story of concerned shopkeepers who are worried by the number of empty shopfronts in The Levee and along bordering High Street.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
It came after we were approached by Video Heaven owner John Lee to highlight the problem. He said he had counted 24 empty shop fronts along the strip. The Mercury did a quick walk and tally and we stopped at 20. So he's probably right.
Clearly it's an issue ... but just as clearly, it's not an easy fix.
The fact is that Council has been incredibly proactive and inventive in its efforts to promote and attract crowds to The Levee. So much so that some business owners just outside The Levee area feel left out.
Think about it: slam poetry, baby animals, buskers, an open mic stage, earth markets (pictured), laneway activation, plus the usual annual events .... just to name a few that jump immediately to mind. It's not like Council hasn't supported the area.
So what's the problem?
To John Lee it's the lack of parking. He's been saying it for ages and he's not alone in believing that.
But after we ran today's page 3 story online, we were flooded with feedback, some of which we'll bring you in Friday's Mercury.
While many point to parking, others believe it's laziness, saying there's always parking available, it just might be 200 yards away but surely that's not too much to ask.
After all, if it was merely parking, Green Hills would be struggling too as finding a park there can be a test of patience or entail a walk. Others put it fair and square on the fact that Green Hills offers everything under the one, air conditioned roof.
Others say it's the type of shops on offer in The Levee, and that you get wet when it's raining (yes please!).
Some even called for The Levee to be free of traffic - imagine that, after all those years of complaints about how it had sucked the life out of the city centre, they want to go back to traffic free.
Clearly this is a complex issue.
But it's one we need to get right. Maybe The Levee needs to reinvent itself and specialise. Maybe this is a symptom of modern day regional areas.
But whatever, there's little doubt that the old city centre that runs parallel to the river and which features some wonderful heritage architecture, should be an attraction.
It's worth fighting for.
