Ashburton businesses and property owners will soon be asked whether they are prepared to lead—and help fund—the next phase of revitalising the town centre.

A feasibility report by a retail strategy expert on unlocking the CBD's potential suggests Ashburton’s CBD needs better branding, boundaries, and signage, and an organisation to drive it.

The council allocated $50,000 – funded from the general rate - on a project to re-energise the CBD, and commissioned First Retail Group to prepare a feasibility study on the town centre.

First Retail Group’s Chris Wilkinson presented the report and recommendations last week on how to make the CBD the “preferred place to shop, socialise, and spend time”.

“It was a very firm focus that this can't be requiring any further council funds,” Wilkinson said.

“Council have already invested a significant amount of money in the CBD, and now it is really a question of encouraging that enablement by the commercial community.”

The Ashburton CBD Revitalisation project, completed in late 2021, cost $17.6 million, and the community, still paying off that loan, could be asked to fund further efforts to reinvigorate the town centre.

Council compliance and development group manager Ian Hyde said the intention of the project is to maximise the potential of the town centre.

“With buildings fully tenanted and more pedestrians using the space – primarily by identifying opportunities that could be taken advantage of and to help define roles.

"A vibrant CBD attracts more people and activity, which helps the prosperity of the wider district.

“In other words, investment there may help the businesses in the town centre, but it will also have a wider benefit.”

The report identified some potential short-term options including moving the farmers market, making public spaces more exciting, developing a unified brand, and increasing outdoor dining opportunities.

Hyde said some of those can be advanced through “engagement with stakeholders immediately”.

“One of those steps is to talk with business and property owners, and others, about a unifying body for the town centre, and we will be reaching out to the community soon with a date and time.”

Other recommendations may be proposed for further consideration through council’s long-term plan process, he said.

At the workshop, Wilkinson said there is a “strong foundation” to build on in the CBD.

“The objective is to reinvigorate the CBD. It sounds a bit crazy because actually it does seem quite vibrant.”

His report identified “simple things that can be done by the business community and with some support of the council”

He proposed creating “a clear and differentiated CBD” that includes branding and signage to identify and physically outline the area.

There is enough parking in and around the CBD that needs “signage, wayfinding and probably just restating the fact that it is a very accessible town”.

The council will be discussing CBD parking in August with a separate report looking at grab-and-go short-term parking, signage, and specific parking for larger campervan and caravan drivers. It will also consider a proposed trial of a laneway along Victoria Street, allowing for outdoor dining over summer.

A return of the Business association?

The CBD feasibility report recommended some form of business collective in Ashburton, with the retailer association disbanding around 2021.

Councillor Tony Todd, who used to own a business in the CBD and be a member of the association, said the biggest issue is getting all the businesses on board.

“Unfortunately, you get free loaders who don't (participate), they will benefit, but not become part of the cost of setting something like that up”.

It needs the right incentive to get people involved, he said.

Todd said Ashburton can compete with Christchurch and Timaru as a retail destination “if we can create the right environment”.

A major aspect for Ashburton is “unified shopping hours, particularly at the weekend”.

People can go to malls knowing they are “open seven days a week from 9am until 6pm”, whereas in Ashburton “they're all different”.

The feasibility report listed three potential models.

A town centre board (estimated to cost $20,000 to establish), a business association ($40,000 set up, additional seed funding, and an estimated $120,000 annual budget), or a Business Improvement District - a formal governance model that was estimated to cost $50,000 to establish and funded by a targeted rate on commercial property owners and businesses in the CBD.

By Jonathan Leask