'Tough few years' ahead for north Esk St retailers

Wednesday, 14 November 2018

Esk street, Northern side, Invercargill.

They support the Invercargill CBD redevelopment going ahead, but they worry for their businesses while it's happening.

Retailers on the north side of Esk St are not part of the $200m redevelopment planned in coming years, but they are close to the action and will be among the most affected.

Kelly Robertson, manager of Cotton On, Esk Street, Invercargill.

'It will be a tough few years while there's a lot of disruption,' Shoe Clinic director Ben Fokkens said.

Fokkens, who was fully supportive of the CBD redevelopment proceeding, said retailers on the north side of Esk Street and others had formed a group in order to work with the company doing the redevelopment.

Bernie Brown, owner of McKnight & Brown menswear shop, Esk Street Invercargill.

'We want to work with them to help minimise the effects while the construction is going on.'

**READ MORE:

Wendy Findley, owner of the Bronze Connection hairdressing salon, Esk Street Invercargill.

*Invercargill CBD plans unveiled

*CBD mall resource consent application made public**

The public has until midnight Friday to lodge submissions with the Invercargill City Council after HWCP Management Limited lodged a resource consent application to develop the block bounded by Esk, Dee, Tay and Kelvin streets.

The first part of the application is to demolish most of the buildings in the block, expected to take two years, and the second part is the multi-faceted redevelopment of the site, expected to take up to three years.

Fokkens said the group's submission would support the redevelopment going ahead, but it would express concerns about the impact it may have on their businesses and make suggestions to minimise the disruption to them.

'We are coming up with ideas on how we can keep people coming into the CBD.'

HWCP managing director Scott O'Donnell said they would try their best to work with all the parties on the north side of Esk St.

The company's consent application says businesses on the north side of Esk St would be impacted throughout the demolition of buildings on the south side of the street.

During building facade demolition, Esk St would be closed for periods to all traffic and goods deliveries would be restricted.

Street furniture removal, parking restrictions and reduced traffic flows would all occur in the area and pedestrians would be moved to the north side of the street for most of the works.

Other retailers on the north side of Esk St on Wednesday expressed concerns about the looming construction work, but all supported the CBD redevelopment proceeding.

Cotton On manager Kelly Robertson said parking restrictions, road closures and demolition of buildings would affect business.

'It's going to take its toll on us.'

She wanted to see Invercargill thrive and supported the redevelopment, 'but we also need to keep our businesses running.'

It would be 'full on' with the dust, noise and contractors on site, she said.

Skelts Jewellers owner Ashley Harris said there would be some tough times ahead, but the bigger picture of the redevelopment was a good thing.

'We need the street open and we need people coming into the street to survive.'

McKnight & Brown owner Bernie Brown, who was supportive of the redevelopment, said disruption was inevitable, 'but when it's for a lengthy time you want to minimise it as much as you can.'

He was concerned Esk Street would lose its vitality, people would no longer gather there and public access would be compromised.

Merric clothing shop manager Carolyn Hopgood said parking restrictions may keep some shoppers away.

Fred's Hair & Beauty owner Natasha King said the HW Richardson Group's other city projects had resulted in minimal disruption and she hoped the same would be the case during the CBD redevelopment.

Bronze Connection owner Wendy Findley said she wanted demolition work on the run-down Government Life building to be at night and during weekends, not on weekdays.