CRL construction causing issues for inner-city businesses

Construction is booming, but business is not for some companies affected by Auckland’s City Rail Link developments.

The re-alignment of piping and lines on Victoria Street West in Auckland’s CBD to accommodate the CRL has caused significant problems for businesses on the road since it started in December 2015.

The strengthening of vital sewage shafts and piping that serve the Orakei Main Sewer (OMS) is expected to last until February 2017, with CRL construction expected to last until late 2023, according to the Auckland Transport website.

Victoria Street News Agency operator Jitendra Patel said the shop had been affected “big time” by the construction which has seen a large wall erected directly outside his store, blocking visibility.

“I’ve been here for 14 years, and I don’t know if I can continue. But if there is a feasible way, then we will.”

Mr Patel said if he “can get some relief from the council or his landlord, he’d be more inclined to stay, but there’s been no discussion” of that happening so far.

Similar issues have arisen further down Victoria Street for Unichem Pharmacy, where pharmacist Andrew Hickey believed the store has lost “a third of the foot traffic we’d typically get”.

The owners are “making bugger all money, if not losing money,” said Mr Hickey.

Only visible from one side, Unichem Victoria Street is stuck in the middle of construction. Photo: Sam Parsons

Dogmatic, a hot dog restaurant at the bottom of Queen Street near Britomart, has also felt a chilling effect from the CRL project.

Dogmatic staff member, Sally Kim, told Te Waha Nui the restaurant has shortened its opening hours because of the disruption.

“We used to open at 9 [or] 10am, but now we open at 11am because the foot traffic has gone.”

With the closing of more infrastructure in the area to come, Ms Kim believes the situation is going to get worse. “With Britomart closing, and the Downtown [Shopping Centre] closing, it’s not going to be a positive effect for us.”

Britomart’s typically busy square has seen much of its foot traffic disappear. Photo: Sam Parsons