Leading landlord slams Unley Council: ‘They have destroyed the street’

King William Rd’s biggest landlord has declared the roadworks project a disaster that will see a huge number of traders go bust — with at least six already close to shutting up shop.

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The biggest landlord on King William Rd says the roadworks are already a “disaster” for his business with several traders ready to close their doors.

Chris Angelopoulos, head of the Duke Group of Companies, that owns 48 properties on the Hyde Park shopping precinct, has slammed Unley Council, which is spending $15.5m on the nine-month road upgrade.

Chris Angelopoulos.

He says he is angry with council for not listening and fully understands the frustrations of his tenants, several of who have told him they expect to shutdown.

“It’s a disaster what they are doing there,” he told The Advertiser exclusively.

“To me they have destroyed the street and they have destroyed the businesses.

“At least half a dozen have told me they are ready to close the doors. I don’t blame them.

“And I’m expecting a lot of worse things to happen from now on.”

Mr Angelopoulos who owns commercial properties on Unley Road and several city sites including Rundle Mall, said King William Rd is his “biggest headache ever” and the “worst situation” he had known in more than 40 years of retail.

Roadworks along King William Road, Monday, June 17, 2019. (Pic: Brenton Edwards)

Even the offer of free rent hasn’t been enough to entice some traders to stay.

“All my tenants have complained and I’m expecting to lose many of them,” Mr Angelopoulos who is based on Greeenhill Rd at Unley, said.

“I told them don’t close just now we will give them free rent for a month if they sign an agreement to stay.

“Not one business has signed. It doesn’t matter how much we seek to help them — they won’t sign.”

Mr Angelopoulos said six shops — around 14 per cent of all his properties — are currently vacant.

“All of us (landlords) told them (Unley) to do it (the upgrade) in stages — 100m at a time — to create less interruptions,” he said.

“And they need to build car parks but they don’t take any notice. With the landscaping on this project they are taking a further 26 car parks. It’s madness.”

The Advertiser is aware Unley Council has attempted to purchase several properties in the area to build a car park at some stage.

Despite offering well above market rates it has not been successful in purchasing any properties.

Roadworks along King William Rd on Monday. Picture: Brenton Edwards

Mr Angelopoulos has rejected Unley Council’s assistance package for traders that includes free fridge magnets, free door mats, a cleaning windows program and a time extension to pay rates as “far too little and too late.”

He says claims that ‘greedy landlords’ are to blame for the shopping precincts downturn is not accurate and that he has reduced rents other the past few years as trading conditions worsened.

“I have a letter from a tenant — who has been with me around 15 years — who told me on two consecutive days last week he had one customer per day. I don’t know how he can survive,” he added.

“When the road is finished it will look lovely but it will be too late.”

Unley CEO Peter Tsokas said council met with Mr Angelopoulos, his son Con and his daughter Titia last week to address concerns.

“He asked for more signage around parking and far more promotion of King William Rd being open for business which we have taken on board,” Mr Tsokas said.

‘We had discussions with all stakeholders about the project and rather than do it in stages the opinion was to do it as quickly as possible.

“That was the strong view of the King William Rd Traders Association.

“We fully expect things to return to normal by mid August when most of the work on the road is completed.”

In a letter to The Advertiser, Mark Clisby president of the Unley Residents Association said Unley ratepayers no longer “have any confidence” in Mr Tsokas.

“This is because the King William Road project, like a meteor, is hurtling towards disaster to “Ghost Town Road”,” he writes.

“The CEO and his managers are out of touch with reality — they have never built or operated a retail business.”

Unley Mayor Michael Hewitson said he was proud of his administrations efforts to help traders and minimise disruption.

Michael Hewitson, Unley mayor. Picture: AAP/ Roy Vandervegt

“King William Rd is not just the physical street, it is also the sum of the traders that makes the life of the street,” he said

“We have a responsibility and a passion for maintaining the diversity of traders and to look after them.

“But it would be silly for us to pour money into things that doesn’t directly benefit traders and only benefits landholders. That’s dumb.”

Mr Hewitson said he understood only eight of 150 King William Rd shops are currently vacant with three businesses already committed to moving in.

Landlord John Papaemmanouil, who owns seven shops on the road, was more sympathetic to council saying the road upgrade was “necessary” and always going to be “a difficult job”.

“I’m always of the opinion we need to have progress,” he said.

“The road is chaos but it’s not forever and for now you need to work harder to keep what you’ve got.

“It was necessary for the road to be done and the footpaths extended for outside dining.”

Mr Papaemmanouil, who has owned property on the road for nearly 40 years and remembers the last King William Rd upgrade 35 years ago that took almost two years, said he had provided rent relief to his tenants.

“I still have all my tenants, but you have to be proactive and stir things up to keep your tenants and bring others in,” he said.

Night roadworks on King William Rd by SA Water as part of Unley Council's upgrade of the shopping precinct. Supplied.