News & Discussion: CBD Retail

[NTRabbit]

Sounds like the problem with the Myer Centre is a bit of a rock and a hard place - it's so poorly designed that it's never going to be successful and profitable as currently constructed, but it's so big that it's too expensive to demolish and rebuild.

[AndyWelsh]

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[bits]

Can't Myers building just fill in the void between basement and ground and move the food court to ground? Move maybe lincraft and a gym to basement.
Move the pub to mall side on 1st or 2nd is easy.
Myers could take space in 2nd and close the upper levels.
And have office and apartments above that?

[ml69]

Can't Myers building just fill in the void between basement and ground and move the food court to ground? Move maybe lincraft and a gym to basement.
Move the pub to mall side on 1st or 2nd is easy.
Myers could take space in 2nd and close the upper levels.
And have office and apartments above that?

I think the Myer Centre basement food court actually work quite well, I don’t think that’s their major issue. In fact, I go to the food court far more often than other sections within the building. It’s usually fairly busy.

It’s the upper levels which are dead and depressing. The escalators to upper and lower levels need to be centralised to the main front entrance, like Adelaide Central Plaza. The atrium also needs to be reduced in size with the far left and right hand wings filled in with large retail tenancies.

[Patrick_27]

Can't Myers building just fill in the void between basement and ground and move the food court to ground? Move maybe lincraft and a gym to basement.
Move the pub to mall side on 1st or 2nd is easy.
Myers could take space in 2nd and close the upper levels.
And have office and apartments above that?

I think the Myer Centre basement food court actually work quite well, I don’t think that’s their major issue. In fact, I go to the food court far more often than other sections within the building. It’s usually fairly busy.

It’s the upper levels which are dead and depressing. The escalators to upper and lower levels need to be centralised to the main front entrance, like Adelaide Central Plaza. The atrium also needs to be reduced in size with the far left and right hand wings filled in with large retail tenancies.

The biggest issue I have with the foodcourt is how enclosed it feels. The ceiling is so low that it feels like you're walking into a gutter grain whenever you get down there and considering it's a foodcourt with hot food offerings it doesn't ventilate well. Whereas the Rundle Place foodcourt actually feels airy and much more relaxing to be in. I know that's a minute point to make but it's the reason I stopped going to the Myer Centre for food.

[Jaymz]

Agree that the food court level seems to work well, strange that, it's the level in the Myer centre that I use the most. Its usually quite busy

My general opinion and only from experience, multi-level shopping centres just don't seem to work. Orchard Road in Singapore is my example, many multi-level shopping centres where the first 3 or 4 have all the good shops. Then they get dodgier and cheaper the higher you go..... even in what would be considered a world class shopping strip.

[Ho Really]

Agree that the food court level seems to work well, strange that, it's the level in the Myer centre that I use the most. Its usually quite busy

My general opinion and only from experience, multi-level shopping centres just don't seem to work. Orchard Road in Singapore is my example, many multi-level shopping centres where the first 3 or 4 have all the good shops. Then they get dodgier and cheaper the higher you go..... even in what would be considered a world class shopping strip.

Not sure all the dodgier/cheaper shops are on the higher floors in Orchard Road. If you go to Lucky Plaza the whole place is cheap and you'll get all the tacky stuff at the very top, but if you go to Ngee Ann (Takashimaya) or Paragon there's very little cheap there. Plaza Singapura is one of the best middle of the road malls. Top floor has cinema and entertainment. It has a huge bright atrium. My favourite shopping mall on Orchard Road and easy to get to since it sits atop of Dhoby Ghaut MRT.

Not sure if you've been to Langham Place (Mong Kok) in Hong Kong. You'll get a nose bleed taking the escalator. Thirteen levels plus two basements. Bars and restaurants are on the top level. Times Square in Causeway Bay is also 13 levels and two basements. Must be something peculiar about HK.

Perhaps the Myer Centre should've been a max of three or four levels with a bright interior, much like you say. Would restaurants and bars work on those top levels? Ideas?

Cheers

[Mpol03]

Why not turn the top few floors into a cinema and civic centre? There is nothing outside of the food court bringing people into the centre. A cinema in the mall would be great.

[Neko Neko Peko Peko]

I have recently been to Melbourne and Sydney. Melbourne Central had 4 or so floors, with the top two floors acting as a place for higher quality eating such as TGIF Fridays, Nandos, Entertainment with a cinema on top. The rest of the floors are filled with shopping, with an atrium running through the middle. Same with Westfield Chatswood in Sydney, and this attracted huge crowds.

If the Myer Centre was renovated properly, maybe with a darker shiny aesthetic inside and perhaps some updates to the facade. A mix of more retail could move in, with "Dazzleland" being reopened, perhaps a version more in tuned with today's youth, sit in restaurants on the floor above with a cinema complex above that, it would be a hit. I know I would go there! Even a roof top bar that branched from the dining areas.

[Ho Really]

Why not turn the top few floors into a cinema and civic centre? There is nothing outside of the food court bringing people into the centre. A cinema in the mall would be great.

and...

I have recently been to Melbourne and Sydney. Melbourne Central had 4 or so floors, with the top two floors acting as a place for higher quality eating such as TGIF Fridays, Nandos, Entertainment with a cinema on top. The rest of the floors are filled with shopping, with an atrium running through the middle. Same with Westfield Chatswood in Sydney, and this attracted huge crowds.

If the Myer Centre was renovated properly, maybe with a darker shiny aesthetic inside and perhaps some updates to the facade. A mix of more retail could move in, with "Dazzleland" being reopened, perhaps a version more in tuned with today's youth, sit in restaurants on the floor above with a cinema complex above that, it would be a hit. I know I would go there! Even a roof top bar that branched from the dining areas.

Well, there you are! Two opinions and observations that are probably on the mark. Perhaps that's what they need. I'm happy too as that will bring more foot traffic to Myer itself where I have my other half working and many friends. Perhaps Harris Scarfe Rundle Place needed the same.

Cheers

[Brucetiki]

Why not turn the top few floors into a cinema and civic centre? There is nothing outside of the food court bringing people into the centre. A cinema in the mall would be great.

The Myer Centre in Brisbane has done this, converting their old amusement park into a cinema complex. Interestingly they originally had a Hoyts cinema complex in their lower levels (where Target is today), yet when the cinemas got moved to the top of the centre, they were operated by Greater Union (trading as Event Cinemas today)

The only issue with putting one in that space here would be how well it would be patronised. City based cinema complexes haven't exactly been successful of late here.

[Ben]

The PalaceNova is always busy and was recently expanded. The reason G U Film house is not successful in my opinion, is its undesirable location. The cinemas themselves are probably the best in Adelaide in terms of quality, yet you literally have to walk past strip clubs and through shisha bars to get there. I don't feel safe walking through that alley so I'm sure the older demographic don't too, so their market is very limited until the area is cleaned up which isn't going to happen anytime soon. I think one in the mall would work well, especially with all the new residential towers going up nearby.

[nath91]

The PalaceNova is always busy and was recently expanded. The reason G U Film house is not successful in my opinion, is its undesirable location. The cinemas themselves are probably the best in Adelaide in terms of quality, yet you literally have to walk past strip clubs and through shisha bars to get there. I don't feel safe walking through that alley so I'm sure the older demographic don't too, so their market is very limited until the area is cleaned up which isn't going to happen anytime soon. I think one in the mall would work well, especially with all the new residential towers going up nearby.

Completely agree Ben, it's a crap location. No idea why GU/Events went back to Hindley, they definitely should have invested somewhere in Rundle Mall instead.

Could gut out the top 2 - 3 floors of Myer Centre, burst through levels and fill in some voids to create larger auditorium spaces. Ample basement parking with direct lift access, could have offered discounted parking for movie goers etc. Not sure who manages leasing and development for The Myer Centre but they do a subpar job.

[Brucetiki]

The PalaceNova is always busy and was recently expanded. The reason G U Film house is not successful in my opinion, is its undesirable location. The cinemas themselves are probably the best in Adelaide in terms of quality, yet you literally have to walk past strip clubs and through shisha bars to get there. I don't feel safe walking through that alley so I'm sure the older demographic don't too, so their market is very limited until the area is cleaned up which isn't going to happen anytime soon. I think one in the mall would work well, especially with all the new residential towers going up nearby.

Palace Nova is one of the worst cinema complexes in the state. Overpriced, poor quality seating, and some of the cinemas are glorified shoeboxes. I would never pay to see a movie there.

You're right about GU Film House though. The cinemas themselves are great (and because the complex has flopped, are still in good condition), and they're still the only complex in SA to have Dolby Atmos. It's location is terrible (which was exactly the same reason the original complex flopped as well). First time I saw a movie there, an undesirable managed to scrounge up enough for a ticket. Management couldn't not sell him one (he was undesirable, but hadn't done anything wrong), but advised us if they were to act up during the movie let them know and they'd evict them immediately. Thankfully we watched the movie without incident, but I've only been back once as a result.

If they were to, for example, move to the Myer Centre, I think it would have more success (and will probably force Palace Nova to upgrade). Perhaps create a cinema/dining precinct across levels 4 and 5.

And I'm pretty sure Edge Church will gladly move back into Hindley St (they never found a replacement site for their City campus).

[Nort]

First time I saw a movie there, an undesirable managed to scrounge up enough for a ticket. Management couldn't not sell him one (he was undesirable, but hadn't done anything wrong), but advised us if they were to act up during the movie let them know and they'd evict them immediately. Thankfully we watched the movie without incident, but I've only been back once as a result.

Uh, what exactly does "an undesirable" mean?