Perth Voice Interactive

PLANS for a pop-up scheme to fill long-vacant buildings with temporary shops have hit a hitch.

In order to deal with empty shops dampening trader morale in centres like Oxford Street in Leederville, Vincent city council engaged property retailers Metier to start matching pop up businesses with landlords.

But the scheme, a year in the making, has now stumbled with Metier pulling out of the deal.

In an email to council Metier said it was bailing because it was a direct competitor with many of the real estate agents it’d be dealing with to fill vacancies.

Metier was also worried “the work required to engage landowners in the scheme would incur costs well above” the $2000 the council would pay for each report.

The council will now engage consultants Find a Pop-Up Shop to work on the project.

Cr John Carey, who proposed the pop up plan, said “this has been a frustrating delay, but let’s keep moving”.

He says empty shops damage other retailers’ morale.

“Can you imagine being a small business next to an empty shop? It is demoralising, and they’re not looked after because they’re not active so they become points of vandalism and they affect the amenity of the whole street.”

The Pony Club is still empty and gathering dust, but a couple of long time tough-nut vacancies have recently been filled on Beaufort Street recently: A clothing store opened in the empty shop next to Beaufort Realty and the dormant At Home Furniture premises became the new base of the WA Aboriginal health council.

by DAVID BELL