Perth Voice Interactive

BEAUFORT STREET is being revived with a slew of big developments on the horizon.

Low foot traffic, empty buildings, an invasion of bars and the exodus of independent retailers has left the once-thriving street down in the dumps.

“We’re at risk that Beaufort Street, that northern end, simply becomes a ghost town,” Vincent mayor John Carey warns.

But now one of those big empty spots, the arcade just south of Walcott Street, will soon be redeveloped after a year of dilapidated vacancy.

Antonio’s Continental Deli moved out after 16 years because it couldn’t secure a permanent lease, and fashion fiend Susi Rigg from Vintage Tatt also called it a day in part because month-to-month leases were too uncertain.

Tanpopo sushi had earlier moved across the road, the butcher shot through, and the Lucky Dollar Lottery Kiosk moved a couple doors down to make way for the big project.

The Scolaro family which owns the building plans to upgrade the arcade and install three shops, three restaurants, a takeaway food joint and a small bar with a laneway open to the public running down the middle.

‘It’s incredible, it’s giving three retail shops to Beaufort Street, it’s giving us a laneway’

Vincent councillors swooned over the plan.

“It’s incredible, it’s giving three retail shops to Beaufort Street, it’s giving us a laneway,’ gushed Mr Carey, who formerly chaired the Beaufort Street Network.

In reference to the laneway, Cr Josh Topelberg said the council usually had to “beg developers to do that”.

The owners won a big bonus when the council waived about $30,000 of cash-in-lieu for inadequate parking. Crs Ros Harley and James Peart both supported the development, but wanted to defer it so planning staff weren’t relying on maths on the fly.

Further south along the street, the development at the corner of Barlee and Beaufort Streets is finally moving ahead: Danny Psaros came on board to finish the project that had stalled when industrial digging damaged neighbouring buildings.

The old Allure site, empty since the furniture shop moved out last year, is being converted to an eco cafe.

And down at the corner of Harold Street, Ken McFarlane’s multi-storey mixed use project is finishing up to offer more retail space on the ground level.

by DAVID BELL