More pain for strip shopping retailers with plans to ban entry into Racecourse Rd off KSD

Struggling retailers on an upmarket Brisbane shopping strip are bracing themselves for more financial pain thanks to plans to ban direct access to the street because of a $650 million infrastructure project, and it’s come with just a month’s notice.

RETAILERS on an upmarket shopping strip already reeling from the $650 million upgrade of Kingsford Smith Drive have been blindsided by plans to ban direct access to Racecourse Rd.

Representative from construction giant Lendlease broke the news on Monday in a series of one-on-one visits with local businesses most effected by the closure.

The plans includes banning eastbound traffic turning left into Racecourse Rd off KSD and re-routing vehicles though Riverview Terrace, which runs behind the Hamilton Hotel, from July until Christmas.

Racecourse Road Dental CEO Ingrid Steven said local businesses had already suffered enough but the latest news would inflict more pain and the ‘rat run’ needed to be patrolled.

She said there was no consultation or any previous suggestion that entry to Racecourse Rd, off KSD, was ever going to be closed on a project that is already running well behind schedule.

Ingrid Steven from Racecourse Road Dental said it’s been a battle for businesses during the upgrade of Kingsford Smith Drive and the latest proposal for a seven month ban on left-hand turns into the up-market precinct will inflict more pain. Pic: Richard Walker

The proposal also includes the KSD/Racecourse Rd intersection being completely closed over four weekends, twice in July and twice in November, and just one eastbound lane along KSD, Ms Steven said.

“They (Lendlease) assured me it would be at least five months but possibly seven months, from the start of July, that it would be one lane only,” Ms Steven said.

“This street is already a ghost town and this is only going to make it harder for businesses which have already been heavily affected.”

Ms Steven said the detour, that passes the car park for the Hamilton Hotel and Dan Murphy’s, would create chaos and congestion in narrow side streets.

“They have said they will distribute flyers and put banners up but that doesn’t help the businesses,” she said.

Petrichor & Co cafe co-owner David Ariza only heard of the sudden closure of Racecourse Rd entry off Kingsford Smith Drive from July when a Lendlease representative visited on Monday. Pic: Darren Cartwright

Petrichor & Co café owner David Ariza said he opened about the same time the KSD upgrade began in earnest in 2016.

Lendlease representatives showed him a map of the planned closures and detour but would not provide him with his own copy, Mr Ariza said.

He pointed out that they have put up with dust, noise and smell from the roadworks for two years and the latest, and totally unexpected, news was a further setback for his business.

“They didn’t tell us on Monday that there were going to be any weekends the road would be closed, they just told about the six months of there being no turn into Racecourse Rd,” he said.

“It’s hard to get people to come to this end of the street because of the way the road is and closing the street is not going to be good for us … we have had dust, noise and water smell … now more pain.”

Harrisons menswear owner Ian Harrison has been a Racecourse Rd retailer for four decades and says any disruption along the road is felt by all retailers. Pic: Darren Cartwright

Harrisons menswear store owner Ian Harrison, who has been selling quality suits and clothes for four decades on shopping strip, is situated several hundred metres from the intersection.

He said any closure or traffic disruption along Racecourse Rd had a ripple effect for all retailers.

“If you block access, the street has to suffer. What affects that end of the street effects this end of the street because it’s the main access to Racecourse Rd,” Mr Harrison said.

Several business owners along the strip that the Courier-Mail visited took were disappointed in local councillor David McLachlan for not flying the flag on behalf of retailers who are doing it tough.

“He only does what he wants to do,” Ms Steven said.

Mr Harrison said: “we seem to have a benign member of the council in this area.”

The council and Lendlease were contacted for comment.