Stonnington Council Cato St carpark closure forces shops to shut
SHOPS along Chapel Street’s iconic shopping strip are struggling to stay afloat following a multimillion-dollar revamp of a popular carpark.
Inner East
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CHAPEL St businesses are struggling with sluggish trade due to a massive multimillion-dollar revamp of Prahran’s Cato St carpark.
Once completed, the $60 million Cato Square will include more than 9000sq m of open space and two levels of underground parking.
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But Chapel Street Precinct Association president John Lotton said businesses on Chapel St and nearby Greville St were struggling with reduced foot traffic because of the carpark’s closure.
“We’ve seen a few close as a direct result (of Cato Square),” he said.
“Cato Square, when it’s finished will be a great space. (But) you take 400 carparks out of a precinct and it will absolutely impact on trade.”
He called on the council to revive the precinct by hosting events.
And he said two hours of free parking should be offered to drivers when the carpark reopened.
In the meantime, he said shoppers needed to be reminded they could access 180 parking spaces on the roof of Woolworths Prahran.
Laura Main, the owner of Signed & Numbered in Greville St, said her trade was down up to 50 per cent and many customers complained about the difficulty of finding a park.
Stonnington Council chief executive Warren Roberts said the council was mindful of the project’s effect on businesses, and promoted traders via its social media channels and provided them with free signs.
Chapel Street Precinct has launched a website with information on available parking in the area.
Details: chapelstreetparking.com.au
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