THE boss of Mildura City Heart has rolled out her grand plan for revitalising Langtree Mall as vacancy rates in the embattled strip sit at an “all-time high”.
Danielle Hobbs this week opened up about the challenges facing the future of the mall, which is a dirty word in her book.
“I think the term ‘mall’ is a bit redundant. It’s an ’80s term,” the City Heart manager said in a sit-down interview before the government announced the state’s latest lockdown on Thursday.
“Traditionally, malls were catchment points for national and international brands.”
She said the mall, where about a third of shops are empty, should be seen as more than a commercial precinct.
“If you look at the Mildura CBD strategy, it highlights the fact that we have (only) 2 per cent public space in the CBD,” Ms Hobbs said.
“In broader context, what does this mean? In Melbourne CBD, for example, they have 14 per cent public space.
“For me, it is about how we perceive the space we have (in the mall). This is open public space and a community meeting point.
“If people want to hold an event, raise awareness of an issue or stage a protest, this is the location they do it. And that’s a classic city centre.
“We need to realise this is more than a mall. It’s a mixed space of commercial and public space.”
Ms Hobbs then addressed the elephant in the room: the glaring number of empty shops.
She said that “health, cash flow, stock availability and landlord disputes” had contributed to business closures in recent years.
“It’s very clear we’ve had a number of businesses close in recent times,” said Ms Hobbs, who is the partner of Mildura Mayor Jason Modica.
“There were some shops already vacant before COVID. For example, the (former) Shoe Shed across from this office (in the mall) has been vacant for all the time I’ve been in this role (three years).
“The day that I see this building leased … well, I’ll be very happy, to say the least.”
She said the “size of the buildings” was an obstacle to some businesses taking up a lease in the mall.
“The footprints are really big,” she said.
“I’ve recently spoken to an anchor national in this space and they’ve told me that if they were arriving now, they wouldn’t select a building of the size they’ve got now.”
One of the by-products of the four strict lockdowns over the past 15 months has been the adverse impact on commercial property values.
Sunraysia Daily understands the values of commercial properties in the mall have crashed by as much as 30 per cent this year.
However, Ms Hobbs remains undeterred as she launches an initiative – the UP Project – that aims to curb the trend of empty spaces in the mall.
“The growth of ‘for lease’ signs and the perception of a downturn that goes with them undermines business confidence and civic pride,” City Heart says on the project’s website.
“Langtree Mall vacancy rates are sitting at an all-time high, further exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic.
“The UP Project offers an opportunity for makers, creators and entrepreneurs to fill and improve the frontage of vacant shops, showcasing their potential and restoring Mildura CBD as a vibrant commerce and community centre.”
Ms Hobbs said owners of seven buildings in the CBD had already signed up to the project.
