‘Too convenient?’: Seventeen shops raising Hindley Street glow-up concerns
Hindley Street is getting a long-awaited $50 million glow-up but a CEO says it must also tackle a slew of shops along the strip.
An influx of convenience stores is front of mind for not-for-profit Renew Adelaide as the business group scrutinises the long-awaited $50 million plan to upgrade Hindley Street revealed on the weekend.
The plan, announced yesterday by Premier Peter Malinauskas and Lord Mayor Jane Lomax-Smith, would turn Hindley Street into a one-way traffic thoroughfare with significant upgrades to lighting and pedestrian areas.
There will be wider footpaths, new pedestrian crossings, more CCTV, new trees, and more outdoor dining options to “encourage a blend between Hindley Street’s distinctive day and nighttime economies”.
But Renew Adelaide CEO Gianna Murphy told InDaily today she is concerned that the glow-up fails to address more pressing concerns over most of the daytime trade being swamped by convenience stores and massage parlours.
Latest data also showed Hindley Street was the most vacant city main street in Adelaide.
Murphy said there were 17 convenience stores currently on the street, with either a convenience store or massage parlours every 20 metres.
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A Hindley Street upgrade, which the council previously budgeted $15 million for, was supposed to begin construction in December 2024. Yesterday’s announcement would replace previous plans, with construction expected to begin in 2028.
Murphy supported the upgrade plans, but wanted the government to introduce planning changes for land use to help address the street’s convenience store boom and instead encourage other types of businesses.
Murphy said that although arts hub JamFactory was located further off Morphett Street, Imprints bookstore was one of the few remaining day traders on the street.
“We want to be able to ensure that businesses like Imprints aren’t looking at other areas to move to simply because they don’t feel supported during the daytime economy,” Murphy said.
“The announcement around beautification is absolutely key to upgrading the street. But the land use is a bit of a trickier one that needs to be addressed,” she said.
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“Does there need to be restrictions in place around how many convenience stores can be in a certain precinct?”
Renew Adelaide is a not-for-profit that matches up business owners with landlords to test business ideas in city spots for a rent-free period.
In Hindley Street, Renew supported Cosmo’s Pizza, which has now “graduated” from the Renew Program and signed on to a longer-term lease.
Renew – which is funded by the Adelaide City Council – does not currently have any spaces on Hindley Street, despite demand from businesses looking for a home.
However, the influx of convenience stores has propped up Hindley Street’s vacancy rates, which improved by about five per cent last year, according to data from JLL.
West End Association spokesperson Andrew Wallace said the street had “languished” in recent years, backing the new plans.
“This is a generationally important project to enable existing business to grow and to attract the new businesses to Hindley street to enable it to thrive again to the benefit of the city as a whole,” he said.
Lord Mayor Jane Lomax-Smith said it was “well overdue for a refresh, having last been upgraded in 1999”.
“The state government shares our desire to see more events and visitors from interstate and overseas, and the design has been adapted with this increased activity in mind,” Lomax-Smith said.
Asked if there was appetite for planning changes for Hindley Street today, a spokesperson said the state government’s focus was “on delivering the revitalisation of Hindley Street”.
“We expect that a better, safer, more attractive Hindley Street will naturally attract a broad mix of businesses to the precinct”.
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