VicRoads announces October completion for disruptive Young St redevelopment in central Frankston - seven months after original deadline
VICROADS says it is aiming to finish the bulk of works for the $13 million Young St redevelopment by October as traders fume over delays.
South East
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VICROADS says it is aiming to finish the bulk of works for the $13 million Young St redevelopment by October as traders fume over delays.
The work was originally meant to be finished in March, but that was later revised to May and is now due to be completed in October.
Senior official Brendan Pauwels told the Leader that traders in the precinct — some of whom have complained the disruptive works have caused a 40 per cent downturn in business — had been informed of the new timetable.
Mr Pauwels said the delays had been caused by complications related to utility services — some of which had not been where they were meant to be or attached to other services.
He also said a ‘green space’ planned near Wells St was now likely to be done as part of the separate $50 million Frankston Train Station project.
“It might make more sense to do that as part of the station rebuild — you would get a better integration,” he said.
Mr Pauwels also acknowledged paving near Ross Smith Ave could not be done until separate works for a $16 million five-storey development in the nearby Clyde St Mall were completed.
This was because trucks going to the Clyde St Mall development could damage the paving.
Mr Pauwels also told the Leader:
* Paving works for Young St would start in July;
* Palm trees would be sited in the middle of Young St with a mixture of plane trees and eucalyptus along each side; and
* The intersections of Wells and Station streets (at Young St) would be closed for several weeks to enable concreting prior to paving.
He conceded the budget for the project faced “challenges” due to the delays, but the focus was on completing it.
Mr Pauwels also scotched rumours contractor Seymour Whyte was facing a financial penalty due to the delays, saying: “Most of those things (causing the delays) have been outside the contractor’s control.”
State Opposition leader Matthew Guy dropped into Frankston recently to speak to traders in the precinct — with many venting anger over the Young St works.
Young St Newsagency operator Vasilis Aroutzidis said he was shutting down his business largely due to a downturn caused by the works.
Mr Aroutzidis said he was weighing up options and unsure if the business would be relocated in central Frankston.
Mr Guy called on the State Government to consider compensation for traders in the precinct.
But Frankston state Labor MP Paul Edbrooke, who has been heavily involved in the project, dismissed the suggestion.
“It’s a good opportunity for Matthew to visit Frankston and see all the amazing progress in our community since a Labor Government was elected,” Mr Edbrooke said.
“It would be a very short visit indeed if he wanted to see any investment from the former Liberal government.”
The Young St project includes landscaping, wider footpaths and new bus bays.