After seven years behind the counter and two major floods, John Spence says he’s ready to close his Lismore shop.
Mr Spence says his former collectables store, The Penny Man on Molesworth Street, lost between five and six million dollars as a result of the town’s recent devasting flood.
When asked by Bay FM’s Community Newsroom [CN] last week if he would rebuild, Mr Spence said, ‘can we win the lotto? No’.
The former shopkeeper said he assumed 70% of Lismore wouldn’t open up again, but comments from other property owners suggested opinion over rebuilding Lismore’s CBD was diverse.
Art Deco arcade shop ceiling revealed, owner keen to re-open
Lismore’s Star Court Arcade was built around the 1920’s in the iconic Art Deco style.
When CN visited last week, the ceiling had partially come away to reveal the original pressed tin.
Star Court Arcade Strata Chair Robyn Smith was excited about the discovery and optimistic for the building’s future.
Ms Smith said she’d met with the Star Court committee to help the strata manager get common areas ‘up and running as quickly as possible’.
She said the committee wanted to get the arcade’s shops ready for trade.
‘We want the town to survive,’ said Ms Smith.
Up to a year before Lismore business as usual, predicts property owner
Lynne Katschke and her husband Adrian Katschke owned the Baskin-Robbins ice cream shop premises and an office in the Strand Arcade.
‘It’s a huge job,’ Mrs Katschke said, ‘not only do we have to clean up our own two premises, but we are also responsible for getting the Strand Arcade up and running as well’.
‘We’ve had lots of help, lots of angels who have turned up to help,’ Mrs Katschke said.
But the flood-affected property owner said it would be up to a year before Lismore businesses ran as usual and that the council could do more to mitigate flood impacts.
‘There needs to be a town meeting so that people can put forward their proposals with all levels of government and the local people,’ Mrs Katschke said.
The Lismore local said she wanted the government to listen to people that had ‘been here for 20 years and know what the situation is like’.
*Kate Payne is a Bay FM Community Newsroom reporter
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