PROJECTS: SA Retail

[Giorgio]

Call for urgent action to revive 'stalled' Rundle Mall, St


* SHERADYN HOLDERHEAD
* From: The Advertiser
* April 12, 2010 12:01AM

ADELAIDE'S premier shopping district urgently needs a shot in the arm and experts are demanding bold action to revitalise the strip.

An Advertiser investigation has revealed more than 80 empty stores in the area between the east end of Rundle St and the west end of Hindley St.

The Rundle Mall Management Authority is working on a masterplan for the mall, expected to be released near the end of the year, which will include bringing the laneways and arcades back to life, considering evening activities, covering parts of the mall and creating a defined policy for shop fronts and signage.

Management authority general manager Martin Haese said the revitalisation of the city's shopping district must be a priority for the Adelaide City Council and State Government, because there had been very little investment in the area over the past 20 years.

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"I think Adelaide City Council and the State Government need to come together to do something bold," he said. "This has to be a repositioning for the next 20, 30, 40 years. "It (the mall) was really cutting-edge in the '70s, so what happens next needs to retake that space as Australia's best mall."

"Why aren't we acting? It has to come from government leadership." Mr Haese said there had been an increase in vacancy rates in the laneways, streets and arcades off the Mall.

"We always have to be proactive to ensure we don't have high vacancy rates but they are not the only acid tests for the health of a shopping area," he said.

Mr Haese said passionate discussion about renewing and upgrading the area in the business and wider community made the area an important political issue.

"I certainly believe the party or the government that gets behind Rundle Mall will win the next election," he said.

"A lot of people turned against (former Member for Adelaide) Jane Lomax-Smith due to a lack of action."

Independent retail consultant Stirling Griff agreed any revitalisation for the area needs to be supported by both the council and State Government.

"There needs to be a vision from the council and the property owners have to be behind it," he said. "Looking at the past, nothing will happen without some degree of pressure from the State Government."

The precinct was created in September 1976 and as Australia's first pedestrian street mall, it was considered a cutting-edge urban development.

It has become famous for its examples of modern sculpture, and colourful array of buskers.

But the continued growth of suburban shopping malls means Rundle Mall must now find new ways of attracting shoppers to the city centre.

The two confirmed candidates for Lord Mayor in the upcoming council elections, Anne Moran and Francis Wong, were both concerned about the vacancy rate and agreed the area was in dire need of a lift.

Ms Moran said the vacancy rate was "very worrying" but she remained positive about the potential of the area if the right amount of funds were injected.

"I would not spend too much on Victoria Square and re-route all the money into the shopping area," she said.

"I'm looking at the Renew Newcastle plan, which is probably more for on Hindley St, that looks at when you do have vacancies instead of it just sitting there, stick emerging businesses in there on short-term leases.

"When the Adelaide Symphony Orchestra went in there (Hindley St) the area went well but now has really slumped."

Ms Moran said she would also like to see Rundle Mall covered.

"Malls are almost an old-fashioned idea now," she said.

"What I'd like to see is an all-weather covering. I don't mean roofing. I think if we put some sort of shading for summer and rain proofing for winter."

The state of Rundle Mall and Hindley St "deeply concerned" Mr Wong.

"Rundle Mall is the heart of the city and it's very important to the city that it's not dead during the night. In fact it's dangerous to walk down the Mall at night," he said.

"We need to be a bit more enterprising, working with developers. Look at potential retailers and give incentives to attract people to Rundle Mall and Hindley St."

Mr Wong said he would be keen to see better use of the laneways, arcades and upper floors.

"We need to make sure people move past Rundle Mall," he said.

City of Adelaide Minister Gail Gago said she would wait for the Rundle Mall Management Authority's report.

"The SA Government is very keen to facilitate the growing vibrancy of Adelaide and will continue to work co-operatively with the Adelaide City Council and other organisations, such as the Authority, to ensure Adelaide is a well planned and vibrant city," she said.

Cotton On Kids employee Jemima Thomson said she believed a more varied mix of retail and hospitality would create a more vibrant city.

"Opening up the laneways and upper levels would bring a bit more variety to the city with more hospitality mixed in with retail," she said.

"Definitely having different shops would be nice and things on a lower price scale I think would entice more people to shop."

Looks like Cr Moran is back with her old "Moranic" comments. Malls an old fashioned idea? Perhaps, but she probably thinks the same about High Streets with fashion botiques like Rundle St.

And regarding the vacancy, I was under the impression that Rundle St has been on the list of many quality Australian fashion houses for some time and they are struggling to find vacancies to move in so why are they surveying the entire east to west stretch of West Terrace to East Terrace?

[AtD]

Yeah what a beat up. 80 empty shops between East Tce and West Tce means the mall is the problem? All of the vancant tenancies are in out of the way places and not on the street/mall itself.

The mall set a record rent for South Australia just before the GFC of $3,700 per sqm. Westfield can only dream of that sort of number.

Headline should be: Call for taxpayer to subsidise already successful retailers.

No to the mall being covered.

[crawf]

I found this bit interesting

The Rundle Mall Management Authority is working on a masterplan for the mall, expected to be released near the end of the year, which will include bringing the laneways and arcades back to life, considering evening activities, covering parts of the mall and creating a defined policy for shop fronts and signage.

The Advertiser needs to die, Rundle Mall does need a freshen up though its far from dying. The mall is always packed, great atmosphere and there is a good selection of shops and cafes. Plus Rundle Street is nearby...

The main problem with Rundle Mall is the connections, Gawler Place is currently a shocker yet it has the foot traffic and shops. Twin St is another bad one, but isn't as busy as Gawler Place.

However James Place is perfect, love it especially with the Grenfell Centre in the background, gives that city feel to it.
image hosted on flickr

Taken by our own eastadl

I also reckon the current Tourist Information Centre in Rundle Mall is a disgrace and needs to be replaced by a state of the art building which could become a icon for the city. Could have escalators/lift going down to a underground section housing a state information centre and a interactive City of Adelaide museum.

BTW I wonder if the plans for Rundle Mall traders to remain open to 7pm during weekdays (and maybe weekends) is still active?. That would also give the Mall a boast

[metro_minotaur]

yes we need more side streets like james place and yes we need new tourist info centres, the one in the mall is crap and seems to be stuck in the 1990s I think we need tourist info centres in major locations like in the Mall, the Railway Station, Victoria square and North Terrace right between the State Library and the War Memorial (would require kintore ave to be closed at the north tce end).

Also a city of Adelaide museum sounds like a great idea, either underground in the mall or in one of our heritage buildings, maybe in the GPO building.

[christarrant]

Not long ago James Place was a very humble little laneway. Looks awesome and is very vibrant now.

I reckon Twin St down the other end of the mall might do alright in the years to come , slowly but surely.

[crawf]

The wraps have started coming off the exterior of the Woolworths building in Rundle Mall uncovering a metal/silver like finish.

The ground floor is still a huge construction site.

[metro_minotaur]

i wonder if the powers that be are waiting for the redevelopment of woolies to be finished before harris scarfe gets shut down and demolished.

woolies just wont be the same without the checkouts in the mall

[Mato2000]

question, if Rundle Place is constructed, will it tower over rundle mall?

[AtD]

No, the tower is on Grenfell St.

[metro_minotaur]

looks like Woolies in Rundle Mall should be reopening soon, hopefully it isnt long until we see some action on the Rundle Place development (i swear i will smash something if this development dies or is reduced in size )

[christarrant]

Woolies re-opens in the mall on June 10th.

[eastadl]

Originally Posted by christarrant

Woolies re-opens in the mall on June 10th.

good, anyone know who are opening in the individual retail tenancies on the mall.

Another thing, caus I now work on South Tce I always go to the Gilbert St IGA. Its like a community centre, love it

[crawf]

I've heard it will open on June 16th.

Wonder if General Pants Co will be one of the retail stores?, there was discussion of them opening up a city store soon.

[christarrant]

Actually Mon June 14 is the new date I've heard today ( from a Woolies employee there )

[eastadl]

Im not really into ladies clothes, but that Allanna Hill store has finally opened on Rundle Street and looks rather groovey

[raza12]

What has happened to the Westfield Marion Redevelopment? Have they started building the pool?

[crawf]

Westfield Marion Redevelopment has been postponed and the State Aquatic Centre is well under construction.
http://www.skyscrapercity.com/showthread.php?t=334547

[Cruise]

State aquatic centre in a suburban area = Fail

[raza12]

Does that mean that the one at morphetville will close down?

[crawf]

You mean the Adelaide Aquatic Centre in North Adelaide?, that's supposedly getting redeveloped into a leisure water complex.

Morphettville is a horse racecourse.