Peter Van the Party Man’s building in Panorama demolished for Goodwood, Springbank roads upgrade
It’s stood on Goodwood Rd for 45 years – but excavators took just a weekend to tear down Peter Van The Party Man for a $60m road upgrade.
South
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The end of 45 years of Adelaide family business came quickly as excavators over the weekend smashed the familiar Peter Van The Party Man building in Panorama.
“It is a sad day,’’ reflected Mark Van, 64, and the son of the party supplies business founder Peter Van.
“We have been going for more than 45 years and most of my life has been spent there at that site. Good memories.’’
Despite the demolition of the landmark building on the corner of Springbank and Goodwood roads, Mr Van said the family business still faced an uncertain future, after the Department of Transport pulled out of a relocation deal in January.
The department was not invited to the party but under compulsory acquisition rules, fair market value must be paid for the business if it cannot be relocated.
The department has previously denied it pulled out of the relocation deal, but Mr Van insisted yesterday it was no longer an option.
In December last year a study into relocation began to make way for a $60 million project to upgrade the Goodwood, Springbank and Daws Roads intersection.
“We are in negotiations about the value of the business, because the department will not relocate us,’’ Mr Van said.
“Not enough, is what they are offering. They have a valuer and I’m supposed to get a valuer which they have knocked back so it is supposed to go to mediation.
“But if the department valuers can’t find a way of relocating it, how am I meant to?’’
The intersection is a notorious traffic bottleneck which caters for on average more than 60,000 vehicles a day.
There have been 50 crashes at the intersections in the past five years, including 20 casualty crashes.
