Bridge Mall Traders Association has called on Ballarat City Council to prioritise the city’s CBD over retail developments in outer suburbs.
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Traders president David Maloney said the CBD needed capital investment to stop specialty retailers hightailing to suburban centres.
Fast fashion outlets Supre and Factorie this week closed their mall stores to form a “superstore” at Stockland Wendouree. Four Cotton On group stores remain at the mall.
Their exit comes two months out from the opening of Delacombe Town Square and amid a $37 million renovation to Stockland Wendouree, which will see the addition of 15 specialty shops and four restaurants.
“The CBD is still so essential to this city. When the tourists come to town they don’t drive to Delacombe, they don’t drive to wendouree Village, they are driving through the city of Ballarat,” Mr Maloney said.
Mr Maloney said the proliferation of specialty stores outside the CBD was diluting the market.
“The next time they (City of Ballarat) come to vote about whether we should be having another Delacombe Centre or expanding Lucas or in fact allowing an expansion of Wendouree Village (they should ask) should we be looking for what the opportunities for land-fill are in the CBD?”
Central Square is also set to lose national chains Glassons and Famous Footware.
Central Square said the centre was “already fielding interest” to fill the stores and expected to announce several new tenants in the coming weeks.
“Central Square Ballarat centre management regularly participates in city strategy planning sessions with Ballarat City Council and community stakeholders,” a spokesperson said.
City of Ballarat mayor Samantha McIntosh said the city’s CBD was “crying out for investment”.
The 2017-2018 budget passed by council on Wednesday night included a plan to revitalise the CBD, she said.
Cr McIntosh said developments in rapid growth areas were “good planning” for a “much bigger Ballarat”.
“I think we’ve just not done anything for the last 50 years … We know we need a really vibrant, healthy heart to Ballarat.
“This is not going to happen over night, this is going to be very expensive (but) in the next two to five years, I really do think it’s a very exciting time for our CBD .”