Gold Coast business: Marina Mirage tenants leave ‘ghost town’ shopping centre

A string of closures at Marina Mirage has left the centre struggling, with remaining tenants saying change is badly needed.

MARINA Mirage must come out of the COVID-19 crisis with a renewed offering to get punters through the door, tenants say.

The landmark Gold Coast shopping centre, which is owned by Adelaide billionaire Con Makris, has experienced a sharp downturn since coronavirus-related restrictions were put in place with some visitors likening it to a “ghost town”.

The virus has led to an even worse vacancy rate than last year when there were a raft of closures, including King Crab Co and Jack’s Coffee Roasters.

Now the newsagency has shut its doors for good and the centre’s popular restaurants such as Fellini and Glass have remained closed during the outbreak, with question marks over whether Fellini is gone for good.

Marina Mirage has been likened to a ‘ghost town’. Picture: Jerad Williams

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Glass owner Pat Gennari said the retail closures represent an opportunity to refresh the tenant mix.

“The selection is pretty poor. People come for what they want and obviously there is nothing there that they want,” he said.

“There are some tenants there that have been in for a really long time. Should they really be there?”

A closed shop at Marina Mirage. Picture: Jerad Williams

Alex Vasile, who opened Revived Couture for a three-month period at the centre prior to April, agreed.

Marina Mirage should be looking into bringing out other things because from a customer point of view they all saying there is nothing in there.

“When you tell people you have been to Marina Mirage they are telling you, ‘what for?’”

Mr Vasile’s store stocks a number of different brands such as Elvis & Kresse, a “sustainable’’ brand that uses old fire hoses destined for landfill to create luxury bags and accessories.

Few people are making the trip to the centre. Picture: Jerad Williams

Mr Vasile said the store had a month-to-month lease upstairs in the centre until April when it was terminated by mutual agreement with the landlord.

He said he emailed management last week asking for vacancies they could move into at the end of June.

“We’re definitely interested in having one downstairs,” he said.

“I have noticed even the news agency has gone.”
Mr Gennari said Makris Group hadn’t yet offered rent relief but he was confident that would be offered.

He was interested in renovating Glass, similar to what he did with Broadbeach’s Koi in terms of the investment, if Makris proceeded with the long promised renovation.

Fellini has remained closed during the COVID-19 crisis. Picture: Jerad Williams

There are question marks over whether Fellini is gone for good. Picture: Jerad Williams

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Makris last month lodged a development application with Gold Coast City Council to almost double its footprint, allowing for bigger vessels, and greater access to restaurants.

A spokeswoman for Makris said it was working through all rental arrangements “tenant by tenant” based on submissions it had received.

“If there are further concerns, our Centre Manager is on site daily to meet with individual tenants and to help generate meaningful solutions that address their needs,” she said.

Con Makris paid $52 million for Marina Mirage in 2013, which has tenants including bespoke jeweller Calleija, Calvin Klein and Christensen Copenhagen. The centre last underwent a redevelopment, at a cost of $40 million, in 2009.

In 2018 Makris Group chief operating officer Jason Makris said a three-phase redevelopment, including a high-end marketplace, was in the pipeline but the planned refurbishments did not happen.