Oxford St owners rail against City planning

Oxford St owners rail against City planning

The viability of Oxford Street as the gay and lesbian business centre is under threat because of poor planning, some local owners claim.

Later this month the Pop Shop, the iconic stalwart of the Golden Mile, will close its doors for good, a sign of the changing face of Oxford Street.

But Robert Tait, who has run the quirky retail outlet with his partner Angelo for 24 years, is quick to declare obituaries of the strip premature.

“People can still be optimistic about Oxford Street; if enough people fight for it, it’ll stay as the heart of the gay and lesbian society of Sydney,” he said.

“We had at least 20 really fantastic years with wonderful people – the best sense of community possible. What we need is the next generation to start opening gay businesses in the village.”

Both Tait and Bookshop Darlinghurst owner Les McDonald agreed the Golden Mile had experienced retail difficulties since a recent City of Sydney Council upgrade.

“We’re lucky in that we’ve been here so long that we’re a destination and don’t rely on passing traffic,” McDonald said.

Aussie Boys owner Ken Holmes and the Oxford Street Commercial and Retail lobby (OSCAR) have written to Sydney lord mayor Clover Moore asking for plans to rejuvenate the commercial precinct to be fast-tracked.

“Some of the shops that [the City of Sydney] owns have sat empty for three years,” Holmes said. “It’s a crime. There should always be someone in there, even if it’s a casual or not-for-profit tenant.”

A spokeswoman for Moore said the City has five retail vacancies on the strip, with business offers on three.

She said a four-stage revitalisation strategy for Oxford Street had also been planned to complement the recent $24 million streetscape overhaul; that 56-76 Oxford Street would be redeveloped into a new retail centre; nine heritage shopfronts between 82 and 108 Oxford Street would be upgraded and a new hotel and restaurant would be developed near Taylor Square, encompassing the historic toilet and substation.

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