Geelong mayor backs forced takeover of failing shopping centre
Geelong's mayor wants the government to forcibly acquire the failing Market Square shopping centre.
Market Square shopping centre was once Geelong's biggest retail area. Over 17 years, it lost major shops like Cotton On and Adairs.
Footwear retailer Faull's Shoes is closing after 17 years. Mayor Stretch Kontelj calls the site "a shadow of its former self."
He wants the government to force a takeover. The owners have refused to sell or develop it, blocking progress.
Kontelj says developers want the site. The Victorian government could work with a private developer to build shops, hospitality and housing.
The CBD needs 16,000 to 20,000 residents to support local businesses, he said. Fourteen development permits sit unused because building costs make projects too expensive.
- 17 years
- Years Faull's Shoes operated there
- Stretch Kontelj
- Mayor
- 16,000 to 20,000
- Residents needed for CBD viability
- Cotton On, Adairs, Faull's Shoes
- Major chains that left
Why it mattersForced takeover could unlock private investment and jobs in Geelong's struggling heart. But it requires political will to override private property rights.
AustraliaGeelong's CBD revitalisation affects a major regional Victorian city; similar vacant centres in other regional Australian towns may face the same pressure and solutions.
✓ Claims checked against the source. checked 56 min ago
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