Shopping mall ‘needed soon’

Press, 9 November 1978, Page 3

Shopping mall ‘needed soon’

] The Cashel and High Street businessmen’s associations have asked the I Christchurch City Council to i have the proposed city centre imall completed bv October, 1979. ; But the works and traffic committee members said that that was not a practical suggestion. The detailed planning and loan financing arrangements for the mall had not been completed. Cr M. R. Carter said the project could have gone ahead at least five years ago if businessmen had been reasonable in their off-street parking demands. Now that they were convinced that enough parking already existed, they were asking for things to happen too fast. “The interest of retailers within the limits of the proIposed mall is now so great that the associations would like to agree with the council on a completion date, so that this can be maintained, and firms can plan in accordance with what, will undoubtedly become a development of both local and national importance," said a letter to the council. The construction of the mall should be done in blocks, with each finished before the next is started, the associations said. Summer construction would cause dust problems. Councillors agreed that

i more meetings should be j . held with the businessmen! ; concerning construction and I 'financing details of the pro-! J posed mall. 5 But they did not agree! t with a separate suggestion,! ’ by the City South Business-! ; men’s Association, that! t Colombo Street clearway! . times should be reduced! . during the afternoon rush! . hour. i The parking ban in front! of shops was causing al j downturn in trade from! j 4 p.m. to 5.30 p.m., the! > businessmen argued. t But the committee’s chair-! t man (Cr Newton Dodge) said! t there were no comparison t statistics to show trading - patterns during that time be- : fore clearways were started. Cr R. A. Bamford said that > some businesses were “go- - ing to the wall” in that part : of the city centre. In his I opinion, it was a reflection - of traffic management. > Cr Carter said it was not . fair to single that factor out. • Another problem was the! ■ increasing popularity of ■ suburban shopping centres,! ! he said. Cr Dodge said businessmen I felt the clearway system was! ■ "just another one of those i little nails in the coffin.” The Traffic Engineer (Mr :M. L. Gaddi said that it ■ would be wrong to overi simplify the situation and blame the trading decline on : clearways alone.