Perth Voice Interactive

IN an attempt to stem the tide of pubs taking over retail centres, Vincent city council is asking developers to build smaller shops.

Mayor Alannah MacTiernan hopes smaller rents will be attractive to independent retailers with smaller budgets.

Along with being zoned retail, they’ll also be too small to be easily transformed into dollar-raking booze barns.

“The problem we’ve got is everyone is turning these shops into bars and the rents are going up,” Ms MacTiernan says. The council can offer developers incentives like reduced carparking requirements if developers go for small-shop-friendly layouts.

The council recently negotiated with Ken McFarlane from Proud Property Group to redesign the ground floor of his Beaufort Street project. He recently bought the site after the project stalled under the previous owner, and he’s hoping to get work underway this month.

Mr McFarlane says he’s happy to make the change to add a small retail space at the front of the building, saying that in another project in Victoria Park similar small spaces sold like hotcakes.

Ms MacTiernan says some rents on Beaufort Street now cost more than the swank surrounds of Claremont Quarter. A largish shop space on Beaufort Street can go for $6000 a month.