Abolishing or reducing parking fees, improving security measures and spending money “sprucing up” the central city.
These are some of the changes retailers and shoppers want to see in Tauranga CBD after it was described as being “in crisis” by Downtown Tauranga chairman Brian Berry on Monday.
Tauranga City Council Commission chairwoman Anne Tolley said the commission was “saddened” to see the state of the CBD when it took over the council in 2021 but work was underway to make it “the thriving, beating heart of Tauranga city” once again.
Grey St shopper Kate Kelway said parking fees were a “major detractor”, especially when parking was free at The Lakes, Mount Maunganui and Greerton.
On-street parking costs $2 per hour for the first two hours, then $5 per hour afterwards, from 8am to 6pm Monday to Saturday, after the Tauranga City Council Commission decided to end two years of free parking in December.
Kelway thought lower rents would attract more businesses to the CBD, and suggested the city centre needed more boutique fashion stores.
“I also think Grey St and Devonport Rd need a makeover, including a new colour scheme, to give an incentive for people to want to come here to shop.”
Elite Beauty School students Asia Rogers and Jess Jump said parking fees were a “killer for them” and free parking was a must, otherwise people would head to shopping malls where it was free.
“We also need a lot more greenery as the CBD is looking old and quite run-down and a few more colourful seats would be nice too,” Jump said.
“Some of the trees look dead and we need to make the place more attractive place to visit,” Rogers said.
A Downtown Tauranga report given to the council said there were 680 occupiable sites in the CBD, with 514 full and 166 either empty or under development. The organisation last week collated a list of 12 businesses that had recently closed or would be closing soon.
The Diamond Design store on Spring St was having a closing-down sale and its owner confirmed it would close in June but did not want to comment further.
Retailers said vacant stores were the result of businesses moving elsewhere due to earthquake-prone buildings needing strengthening work, leases being too expensive, and parking charges being too high, keeping potential businesses and customers away.
Step Inn Shoes manager Lyn Brown thought there was no quick-fix solution to the trend of businesses leaving the area but wanted greater promotion of what the CBD had to offer as a visitor experience.
Brown also wanted to see “improved security measures”, including a greater police presence in the CBD, to deal with safety concerns as they arose.
She said there needed to be some form of parking fee otherwise the spaces would be filled all day, but it should not be as expensive as currently set, nor should paid parking operate from 8am to 6pm, especially given the competition from shopping malls.
Tranquillo Beauty Clinic co-owner John Dewes-Hodgson, who has operated the business with his partner since 2011, wanted money spent on “sprucing up the streetscape” so it “looked loved and lived-in” for shoppers.
Dewes-Hodgson, who is also a Downtown Tauranga board member, said paid parking had advantages for businesses like theirs on Grey St because they operated on an appointment basis.
However, as more shops closed down or relocated elsewhere the cost of parking was a large deterrent for many shoppers and a rethink was needed on what was a reasonable amount to pay, he said.
He also wanted to see any parking revenue collected in downtown Tauranga poured back into the area.
A spokeswoman for KILT Clothing on Devonport Rd said it didn’t feel “supported by the council” when it raised issues like parking prices.
“It’s just a joke and I think a return to free parking will go a long way to addressing some of our concerns.
“We are already open seven days a week and we need every customer we can get to help keep our doors open.
“We need free parking back ASAP as since the fees were hiked up to $5 an hour after the first two hours, time and time again we are hearing from our customers that is a major disincentive to want to come into the CBD to shop.”
At Tauranga City Council’s Finance, Strategy and Risk Committee meeting on Monday, Berry said the CBD was “in crisis.”
Berry said the “CBD is in crisis” while presenting Downtown Tauranga’s six-monthly report.
He noted there was “a real perception problem” in the wider community for the last three to four years, including that it was “dead down there” with multiple vacant shops.
Parking costs and availability were challenging, Berry said, but availability improved with the reintroduction of paid parking in December.
He said “the end game in, say, four years will be fantastic” and the CBD could become a regional hub for business, entertainment, culture and inner-city living - but getting to that stage with the “least pain” was essential and the community needed to support businesses.
Tolley said the commissioners were “saddened” by the state of the city centre when it started in 2021 and that was why it committed to the “transformative development” of the new civic precinct - Te Manawataki o Te Papa.
“At $303 million, this will be the biggest investment the city centre has ever seen and will include a new library and community hub; a civic where [community meeting place]; a museum where the city’s heritage can be displayed; an exhibition gallery; and landscaping linking the civic precinct to the nearby waterfront reserve.
“On top of this, several large-scale private developments are already under way across the city centre.”
Tolley said the work “can’t happen overnight” and the commission “really feel for the owners of businesses that are struggling” and was committed to working with them and other stakeholders to support them through the CBD transformation.
Tolley said the likes of community events over the summer resulted in a “noticeable increase” in visitors and it was working on other immediate solutions.
It was also exploring other solutions to support businesses such as a review of licence-to-occupy fees, which allow for outdoor dining areas.
“Creating more spaces for events and for people to spend time is a great way to bring people into the city centre and this is a big driver for the transformation of the waterfront that’s already under way, from Dive Crescent right along The Strand.
“Paramount to this development, and indeed the city centre transformation in its entirety, is the need to make the heart of our city a place that our community can feel proud of.
“Cleaning up our streets, and increasing the number of trees and plants, places for people to sit and spend time, as well as improved signage, are just some of the ways we are doing this.”
In response to parking criticisms, Tolley said people could still park for free over the weekends and on public holidays at the Spring St and Elizabeth St parking buildings, and on-street every Sunday and on public holidays.
“While the long-term goal is for people to be less reliant on cars, we are monitoring the parking situation and are looking at various solutions in response to feedback from the community.”
This summer will be critical to discover if the sharks have started returning.