Developer calls for retail concessions

A KIAMA property developer has called on Kiama Council to consider providing building concessions on the construction of new residential and commercial buildings.

Director of MLT Developments the company in charge of the $10 million redevelopment of the old IGA site in Terralong Street Mick Luzaic said it was imperative council began thinking outside the box, as a lack of commercial floor space in Kiama worsened.

It is frustrating. Council needs to begin to let the builder build. This town is in desperate need of new commercial floor space, he said.

It certainly makes me a bit angry especially when you look at how old and outdated the main street looks these days.

It is a joke, something has to be done.

Mr Luzaic said he believed Kiama Council should provide concessions to developers in order to encourage them to provide more commercial buildings in town.

If someone is building a block of apartments, then council should be encouraging them to put some commercial space in that building.

Council should be bending the rules of development applications to accommodate more shops in the district, he said.

I reckon firstly we should be building four to six storeys high to fit in with the landscape.

However, they dont allow anyone to go that high even though they are putting up that seven-storey monstrosity at the retirement village.

Imagine if we could build that high how much extra commercial floor space would be opened up. It is a case of terrible double standards.

Mr Luzaic said the NSW Department of Planning had allowed the developer extra floor space ratio on his $10million 18-apartment redevelopment of the old IGA site in Terralong Street on the provision that he turned the extra room into commercial outlets.

The NSW Department of planning allowed for this even though it was outside the guidelines, they are encouraging builders to help towns flourish.

The extra space means that Kiama will now have an extra four shops in town where it otherwise wouldnt have, he said.

This is the perfect example of what should be happening two bodies working together for the betterment of the town.

Kiama has a lot of potential but at this stage council will not let it live, things are certainly in need of a massive shake-up, the present council is slowly suffocating this town, it needs to attract more business but presently there is simply no room in town for it.

Director of Raine and Horne Kiama Steve Pryor agrees with the need for larger tracts of commercial land in Kiama, saying he believes council concessions would be a very positive step.

At the moment the level of commercial rent paid in this town is extremely high.

We are driving business out of town, he said.

If an acre of land was freed up by council to provide a major commercial development it would keep down the levels of rent and keep small businesses in the area.

At the moment there probably is not enough help or incentive for developers to provide commercial floor space that is why council or the planning body should be allowing concessions to make sure any new residential buildings incorporate some sort of commercial area.

At the moment we are forcing people to shop out of town.

More shops will mean lower rent and a wider array of facilities for people to use.

Instead of people making day trips they will be staying for the weekend. Kiama Blue is great but it should be just the start.

If tourism in Kiama is going to push forward these are the projects we should be looking at.

Kiama councillor and local real estate agent Warren Steel said he fully agreed with Mr Luzaics comments, saying he has been calling on his fellow councillors to think outside the box on development for some time.

With the LEP coming up these are the things we should be looking at, he said.

There is definitely a need for more commercial floor space and I think concessions are the way to go.