Sky high rents force more shops to close in Tedder Ave, Main Beach

A GOLD Coast business that set up shop in Main Beach to revitalise the “dying” Tedder Avenue strip is already having to close its doors.

Council and Candles

A GOLD Coast business that set up shop in Main Beach to revitalise the “dying” Tedder Avenue strip is closing its doors.

Sevegne Newton and Bruce Clarke, co-owners of the Byron Bay and Gold Coast Candle Company, opened a pop-up shop in the wholesale showroom they created in their newly purchased premises in Peak Ave just last month.

But a complaint to the Gold Coast City Council has had compliance officers on the couple’s case, giving them 10 days to close for ‘undesirable use’ of the building which was once a doctor’s surgery.

THE JOLLY CHINAMAN CLOSES AMID TEDDER AVE EXODUS

OUTBACK SPECTACULAR STAR KILLED IN BLAZE

The couple, who have lived in Main Beach for four years and want to see the suburb brought back to life, said rents that were too high along Tedder Ave were preventing local businesses from having a go.

Tedder Avenue has become a ghost town.

They are not the only ones, with convenience store owner Ahmed Mousa having to close his doors because he lost $50,000 trying to stay afloat last year.

“The rent is high and there’s not enough customers to keep going,” he said.

“The shops around me have closed down so people don’t come to this area because there’s nothing in it.”

The store is among more than a dozen businesses that have closed in Tedder in recent months, with shopfronts left empty because the area cannot attract tenants willing to pay top dollar for low foot traffic.

Businesses are struggling to survive while paying high rents

Mr Clarke said the rent for one small store was $2000sqm, more than a shop in busy Westfield Paramatta.

“We’re good operators, we know what we’re doing,” Mr Clarke said.

“We’re low impact, we’re professional and polite and we’ve tried really hard to bring something positive to the area.

“In among all of this we never realised how hard it is to create change in a street that’s in dire straits.

“It’s really tough out there.

“We’re very upset and sad for the area with what’s happening.”

Main Beach Progress Association vice-president Georgie Brown said they had a meeting with owners and real estate agents recently to discuss the high rents.

“What we’d like to see in Tedder Ave in the absence of any permanent tenants is to use the shops for pop-up shops or displays of art, because it looks a lot better than empty rooms with dirty floors, mail being stuck under the door and a plethora of real estate signs,” she said.

Area councillor Lex Bell said rents had to be lowered in order for Main Beach to once again become a profitable area.

“Council can’t do much about the rents but I do believe if more shops close, the more pressure it places on landlords, so I believe they’ll be forced to lower rents,” he said.