Hutt St traders warn of mass exodus of business owners should carparking be axed as part of $12m street revitalisation

A near-century-old business and several others could abandon a bustling CBD strip if a $12m revamp slashes its key lifeline.

Hutt St traders, Richard Libralato from Ideal Shoe Repairs, and Clara Tran from Star Discount Chemist, may be forced to relocate. Picture: Brett Hartwig

Hutt St business owners have warned of a mass exodus of traders should a $12m revitalisation of the city strip include cutting on-street carparking by almost half.

Adelaide City Council is currently considering five concept plans to upgrade Hutt St, intended to make it more pedestrian and bicycle-friendly.

Among the options are designs which slash the number of car parks from 132 down to 72, and limit traffic to one lane each way.

Several owner-operators have told The Sunday Mail that they will be forced to relocate if the final proposal includes these measures, which they predict will cripple trade by up to 40 per cent and effectively “destroy” their businesses.

Ideal Shoe Repairs owner Richard Libralato said he will have no choice but to move his shop – which has been operating on Hutt St since 1929 – to a new premises within three years.

“A lot of our clients are statewide, they come from as far away as Gawler and Victor Harbor. They won’t jump on a bike and come to Hutt St,” he said.

Richard Libralato at his Ideal Shoe Repairs shop on Hutt St. Picture: Brett Hartwig

Mr Libralato, 57, said the upgrades, which include a protected cycle path, additional greenery and wider footpaths, will turn Hutt St into a cafe and restaurant strip akin to Melbourne’s Lygon St.

“Specialty and service stores will end up moving on and it’ll just be a cafe strip. It just doesn’t suit our clientele,” said Mr Libralato, whose family has owned the shop for over 45 years.

He said businesses were already struggling with the cost-of-living crisis, and with everyone “tightening their budgets”, this would be the final straw for many operators along the street.

Clara Tran, from Star Discount Chemist, said about 60 per cent of her pharmacy’s scripts last year came from customers outside of the CBD.

“I can’t see how we would survive this,” she said.

“We have a lot of customers who have to drive here. Even if they live nearby, they physically can’t walk here.

“And if you can’t find a park, you’re going to Unley or Norwood or Burnside where you can. So 100 per cent, we’d have to move, it’d be too hard.”

Hutt St traders, Richard Libralato from Ideal Shoe Repairs, and Clara Tran from Star Discount Chemist. Picture: Brett Hartwig

It’s a similar story for the much-loved Hutt Street Chicken and Seafood shop.

Sue, who has run the takeaway store for 11 years, said removing car parks could see up to 10 businesses exit Hutt St – including her own.

“It would destroy our business. We need more car parks, not less. There’d be no point running this (shop) here,” she said.

“I’d have to look at my options. I’d look to sell my business now... as it’s only going to be harder to sell it later.”

Hutt St business owner Greg Clothier, from IQMS Australia, estimated that up to 40 per cent of trade could be lost.

“No offence to the Lord Mayor but this will never be a European city,” he said.

“This will cost us business. People usually come in for a meeting, then we’ll take them to lunch... where the hell are they going to park?”

Theo Vlassis has owned and operated the Hutt St IGA supermarket for 18 years. He said reduced carparking and increased traffic congestion would see a significant downturn in his trade, which in turn would force him to cut back on staff.

“It all feels anti-business to me. It’s just ridiculous. A lot of store owners are already thinking twice about re-leasing their premises,” he said.

Mr Vlassis said bike lanes were a “nuisance” and won’t help bring more people to the city.

“I hardly see any cyclists here, especially during the week,” he said.

How Hutt Street may look after its revitalisation. Picture: Adelaide City Council

Councillor Henry Davis has been an outspoken critic of the council’s approach to cars around the CBD, especially along Hutt St.

He said the council’s strategy is misguided and will end up “killing” city businesses.

“The idea is to make the city so inhospitable for cars that you have to ride your bikes. They make the assumption that people will then ride their bikes,” Mr Davis said.

“But you cannot force people into a change of mode of transport. They will just stop coming to the street. Traders are outraged by this proposal and the council is not listening to ratepayers.”

SA Business Chamber chief executive Andrew Kay said the city council needs to consider the future of businesses along the strip before going ahead with any proposal.

“When businesses feel that their trade will be threatened to the point that they should pack up and leave, the ACC needs to have a serious rethink about what they are proposing,” he said.

“Businesses are the lifeblood of the main street, and they are telling us conditions have not been this tough since the Covid pandemic.

“Their local council should be working with them to unlock opportunities, not wipe them out.”

Adelaide Lord Mayor Jane Lomax-Smith. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Emma Brasier

Adelaide Lord Mayor Jane Lomax-Smith said designs for the Hutt Street revitalisation will be guided by recent “broad and rigorous” community consultation, and no decisions have been made.

“Ensuring our streets are equitable for all users - whether they choose to ride, walk or drive – is a challenge faced by cities around the world, and it remains a key consideration in our plans,” she said.

“Studies have shown that in cities like New York, London and Sydney, allocating sufficient space for active transport boosts local businesses and increases foot traffic.”

A final report on the Hutt St proposal is expected to be delivered to council in June.

‘DON’T KILL THE CBD’: PLEA FROM CITY BUSINESS LEADERS

Moves to slash carparking, reduce driving lanes and cut speed limits as part of upgrades to major city strips will do “huge damage” to businesses and make it harder to grow the CBD population, business leaders and precinct groups say.

Adelaide City Council has announced plans to refurbish several main streets across the city and in nearby North Adelaide, including O’Connell St, Hutt St, Gouger St, Hindley St and Light Square.

The projects are largely designed to make the CBD more pedestrian and bike friendly, with features such as cycling lanes along with cosmetic improvements including widened footpaths and new greenery.

But business leaders say the proposals, many of which reduce the number of on-street car parks and restrict traffic flow, will do more harm than good.

How O’Connell Street may look after its revitalisation. Picture: Adelaide City Council

Theo Maras. Picture: Supplied.

Adelaide property developer and Central Market board chief Theo Maras said such moves would “kill the city” and make it more difficult to attract people to the CBD.

“If you restrict the flow of traffic, you’re restricting the flow of people and that will do huge damage to business... because how are people going to get there?” Mr Maras said.

“My view is ‘Don’t kill the city’. When you kill the city, you are creating a bad environment for people to live in the city.”

Mr Maras, a long-time former chair of the Rundle Mall Authority, conceded that a more pedestrian-friendly CBD was required for the state’s growing tourism ambitions – but it shouldn’t be at the expense of Adelaide’s drivers.

“I’m all for gardens, parks and footpaths... but the most important amenity is traffic management, accessibility and carparking,” he said.

“People have to come from the suburbs to make the city economically viable.

“All roads must lead to Adelaide – and then you need somewhere to park your car.”

North Adelaide precinct president Paul Lam said improvements to city strips, including O’Connell St, were long overdue.

But he said traders in his area were “very concerned” that plans to reduce the speed limit would lead to traffic congestion, while fewer car parks would hinder their ability to do business.

“Business is very tough at the moment. The cost of living, higher wages... now with carparking problems and getting access to their premises, that would further complicate the challenges we are facing,” Mr Lam said.

The North-South Bikeway on Frome Street. Picture: Keryn Stevens

East End Coordination Group president Frank Hannon-Tan said he supported the introduction of new bike lanes along Frome St and Frome Rd as part of the $12m North-South Bikeway.

But Mr Hannon-Tan said the bike lanes had significantly impacted traffic flow and also become a safety hazard for cyclists and pedestrians.

“There’s so much traffic congestion and it’s become quite dangerous,” said Mr Hannon-Tan, owner of Amalfi Pizzeria Ristorante on Frome St.

“It’s nice to be aspirational and say we want a pedestrian, car and bike friendly city... but the reality is people mainly live in the suburbs and we need carparking.”

He said some businesses along Rundle St were already battling with people preferring to take advantage of free parking in suburban shopping precincts.

“There are so many empty streets in Adelaide... and you’ve got a couple of streets with life and it seems like people are actively trying to kill it,” Mr Hannon-Tan said.

SA Business Chamber chief executive Andrew Kay said the council needs to take the warnings of owner-operators very seriously or there will be business casualties.

“The common thread with these streets and roads is that they either bring people into our city or move them through it,” he said.

“We need to attract workers and consumers back into the CBD and surrounding areas. Bike lanes at the expense of parking is not the answer.

“If businesses can’t survive, they will exit and with them, the retail and hospitality offerings needed to draw people back in.”

South Australian Business Chamber chief executive Andrew Kay. Picture: Supplied by SA Business Chamber

Mr Kay said small business traders are finding it tougher than ever in the current economy. “They need a lot of things to move in their favour to make a go of it,” he said. “Their message to us has been clear. Removal of parking kills their trade. Unnecessary reductions to speed limits, keeps traffic away.

“They want the ACC to have a serious rethink about these plans and listen to what they have to say.”

Adelaide Lord Mayor Jane Lomax-Smith said businesses and property owners have been calling for main street upgrades for sometime, and it was up to the council to “strike the right balance” between competing demands.

“High speed major arterial roads are bad for residents, retail and pedestrians,” she said.

“Experience from other cities shows that well-designed streetscapes, even with reduced speed limits, parking or traffic lanes,can actually enhance local business activity by attracting more foot traffic and creating a more pleasant environment.”