Shop owners on Park Road in Milton are optimistic about the precinct’s revival and the influx of new customers after years of a slump due to the departure of key businesses.
In the last few years, Park Road cafes and other stores were forced to move out of the precinct due to increasing rent rates and parking issues, especially during game days at the nearby Suncorp Stadium. The renovation of the stadium has also had a direct impact on the competition of businesses in the surrounding areas.
Milton has also been heavily impacted by Brisbane’s major flooding events in the last decade, as well as the COVID-19 pandemic.
However, a few new businesses, such as Mongrel and Arrivederci, are slowly keeping the precinct abreast with activities. Oldtimer La Dolce Vita cafe, which will be turning 34 years old in 2023, has been buzzing with different events that are spilling over to the street side.
PIP Theatre, the private entertainment facility, has also secured a 10-year tenancy at the Dome and has unleashed a full program of plays, cabarets and other live productions for 2023.
Heaps of apartment developments are also helping the strip turn a corner. The Ambrose’s construction is almost finished and will welcome 400 residents. Another residential tower with 50 units has been under construction since September 2022. Shayher Group is also set to transform Coronation Drive a few blocks away with a mix of residential and commercial units.
Meanwhile, Brisbane City Council has a $500,000 commitment to redevelop Park Road and its neighbouring shopping precinct. The final plans for this project will be out in early 2023 for community feedback.
