In a petition presented to the council on April 25, the business owners have demanded, among other requests, compensation for reduced trading.
The petition claims that in the past six months, 40 per cent of public car parking has been removed and 60 per cent of shops in the strip, including the only supermarket, have been demolished.
The principal petitioner is Mends Street News and Supplies owner Paul Noble, who managed to get 364 signatures when it went to council.
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READ NOWMr Noble said the impact of construction around the area had flattened trading.
“I think the council needs to be fair to everyone; they should charge people $2 per hour for parking with the first hour free,” he said.
“They’ve let all the construction happen at once and with the parking problems, it only makes things worse.
“The council has allowed pop-up bars and cafes like the Embargo Bar while the cafes on Mends Street are suffering.
Mr Noble said he wanted the City to “come to the table” and negotiate a fair outcome for rates and compensation.
“You’ve seen the same problem in Scarborough and they got an agreement between the businesses and the council,” he said.
“I think the City could do more to promote the area. I’ve suggested something like a street market to make it more vibrant.”
Mayor Sue Doherty said the petition would be the subject of an officer’s report to the council at a meeting on May 23 but compensation was not a part of the City’s consideration.
“City representatives have been meeting regularly with the Mends Street Traders group and working with them on a number of initiatives to support their businesses through this period of transition,” she said.
“The City has and will soon be installing additional promotional signage in the precinct to remind shoppers that Mends Street is still open for business and encourage visitation during the construction and transition phase.”
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