Bold idea to end Geelong’s reliance on CBD workers

A Geelong advocacy group’s chief has floated a bold plan for a CBD reimagining to end the need for city-based workers to fuel retail and hospitality sectors struggling to recover post-Covid.

Geelong offices would be repurposed into co-working spaces and affordable accommodation under a bold plan to revitalise the CBD.

Committee for Geelong chief executive officer Jennifer Cromarty said ensuring at least 10,000 people were living in the CBD full time was vital to its prosperity.

Jennifer Cromarty from Committee for Geelong. Picture: Pam Hutchinson Photography

Ms Cromarty said cities across the world, including Geelong, needed to be reimagined in light of the coronavirus pandemic.

“City-based workers were the lifeblood of our city centre’s cafes, restaurants and shops prior to the pandemic,” Ms Cromarty said.

“With mandated work from home orders, both workers and businesses have seen the benefit of flexible work practices.

“However, we are now faced with CBD retail, hospitality and other service based business suffering losses in trade due to reduced foot traffic.”

She said ordering people back to city-based offices was not a long-term solution.

“Re-purposing office spaces to shared spaces, co-working and potentially affordable housing and accommodation is something we need to consider,” she said.

“Government policy and incentives is one option, but it’s also something local property owners can plan for as we move through significant change as global community.

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“Central Geelong needs a steady population of at least 10,000-12,000 people and not just a reliance on the international student market.”

The calls come after the Geelong Advertiser revealed this week that more than 40 ground level shopfronts in the city’s main streets were vacant and daily foot traffic in the CBD continues to remain low.

Ms Cromarty said the highly anticipated new Revitalising Central Geelong Action Plan would also help shape the city’s post-pandemic growth.

She said urgent action was needed from government to fund, incentivise and subsidise a range of residential options for the city including re-purposing existing commercial properties for residential living. G21 chief executive officer Giulia Baggio backed the call to attract people to live in the CBD.

“We need everyone – tourists, international students, shoppers and office workers – to bring the hustle and bustle back to our CBD shops, arts venues and eateries,” she said.

“In the longer term, a deliberate strategy to entice several thousand residents to live in the city centre would truly create a vibrant daytime and night-time economy for Geelong.”

A Revitalising Central Geelong spokesman having more people working and living in the CBD would help the city thrive.

“Having a larger, permanent residential population in the central city will support existing shops and provide amazing new opportunities as these residents seek out services, retail and hospitality,” he said.

“The Revitalising Central Geelong Action Plan is supporting the city’s economic recovery by growing innovation, creative industries, increasing the residential population and delivering projects that boost its liveability like the Green Spine and laneways expansion.”

Originally published as Bold idea to end Geelong’s reliance on CBD workers