Six houses and two businesses including Peter Van the Party Man will be affected by the Springbank Rd upgrade

Landmark business Peter Van the Party Man is at a crossroads – in a very literal sense. It will be acquired in the expansion of the Springbank Rd intersection – leaving its staff “up in the air”.

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The party appears over for high-profile business Peter Van the Party Man, which has officially learned it will be sacrificed for a $60 million road intersection upgrade.

The State Government formally advised the popular Panorama business last Friday that it would begin a process to acquire “by negotiation or compulsory process” the company’s 48-year-old property on the corner of Springbank and Goodwood roads at Panorama.

The Government is to realign the junction of Springbank, Daws and Goodwood roads into a four-way intersection, with work expected to begin next year and take two years.

Peter Van the Party Man owner Mark Van said the acquisition notice left him “up in the air”.

“I feel bad for our customers, we are a bit of a landmark,” he said, adding that 14 staff could lose their jobs.

“I’ve just spent $70,000 on a new computer system, I’ve put in a new warehouse out the back … I was planning for expansion and now we’ve been thrown in the deep end.

“It’s not good for the staff … it’s very distressing for them.”

Peter Van the Party Man owner Mark Van said the acquisition notice left him “up in the air”. Picture: Matt Turner

The Daw Park Caltex also received an acquisition letter and a Daws Rd resident told The Advertiser their house and two others would also go for the upgrade.

The paper has also learned the Transport Department would also need to part-acquire a further three houses.

Another Daws Rd resident said the department would need to remove 7m from the footpath to the front of his property.

Repeated requests by The Advertiser to the department for confirmation of the figures were not provided.

Springbank Rd upgrade, letter to Peter Van the Party Man from Friday, May 23.

A Transport Department spokesman said consultation was ongoing with all affected owners to assist them through the process.

“DPTI has been communicating with the community and stakeholders, including relevant property owners, about the project since it was announced on May 6 and they will continue to be engaged, moving forward,” he said.

“Our priority is to consult with the affected property owners and businesses directly, which has been occurring since the project was announced.”

Caltex Daw Park employee of two years, Gowthan Ginjupalli will lose his job as a result of the acquisition. He said he was concerned about the affect the closure of the petrol station would have on people with a disability who work at the nearby Bedford Group and who frequent the Caltex.

Mr Ginjupalli will also miss the regular customers and relationships formed from his two years’ of working there.

“I’ve got many friends here, they just want to see my smile,” Mr Ginjupalli said.

“I just like to speak with good people … I have no idea what I will do.”

Around 60,000 vehicles travel through the existing intersection daily.

An artist’s impression of the proposed upgrade to the Goodwood / Daws and Springbank Road intersection.