The Sydney Morning Herald from Sydney, New South Wales, Australia • Page 12

There is a spirit of optimism in this retail trading area, reports MARK CHIPPERFIELD Maroubra is facing up ttl ba to a mmw i A 9, ft 5 y. 5.5 XI f-HHlUliiilifillfll AROUBRA Junction is facing up to its biggest ever challenge: the construction of a massive I l-i-lll -11 centres policy would mean that it could broaden its commercial base to include more office development Maroubra also suffered from a slight image problem and needed to "spruce itself up" along the same lines of Double Bay, but there was no reason for doom and gloom. Despite earlier predictions, many people now believe that instead of drawing business away from Maroubra, Pagewood will in fact provide a springboard for renewed growth. "Pagewood's going to bring a lot of people this way. There's got to be some flow-on to Maroubra Junction," Mr Gialouris said.

This view is shared by Mr John Kierney, the retail manager for JMK Pty Ltd, which owns the Jenz boutique in Stockland Arcade. Mr Kierney said he was confident that Maroubra would expand, regardless of other retail competition: "We enjoy very good business here. I reckon our business will continue despite Pagewood." JMK owns four shops in Sydney and two in Newcastle. Mr Kierney said Maroubra was one of his company's busiest outlets. Confidence in Maroubra's future is reflected in the comments of Mr Ray Harris, the owner of Harris Honda in Maroubra Road.

In five years Harris Honda has become one of the biggest Honda dealerships in NSW. A former travel executive with American Express, British Airways and Hilton International, Mr Harris had no doubt that Maroubra would continue to expand. An early spin-off of the Pagewood threat has been the emergence of a new sense of unity among Maroubra's business community. The acting president of Maroub- Picture by GEOFF BACNALL businessmen say they're preparing for a "good Maroubra is to face major retail competition Westfield $80 million shopping emporium at nearby Pagewood. With less than 14 months to go before the development reaches completion, Maroubra shopkeepers and businessmen are joining forces to ensure that Maroubra Junction does not become a commercial ghost town.

Some pundits have forecast that the Pagewood shopping centre will slice off around 40 per cent of Maroubra Junction's retail trade. Back in 1982 when the Pagewood development received State Government backing, Maroubra residents took to the streets in mass protests, saying they were mourning the "impending death" of Maroubra Junction. Today, there is a new spirit of optimism along Anzac Parade and Maroubra Road. A number of major commercial developments are in the pipeline. These include a retailoffice complex on the site of the Golden Grove hotel and proposed extensions to the Grace Bros store in Stockland Arcade.

"Maroubra is like a rosebud waiting to blossom," according to Mr Jim Gialouris, one of the area's most prominent developers. Like an increasing number of Maroubra businessmen, Mr Gialouris said he believed Maroubra had yet to approach anything like its full potential. "Providing we get our act together now and start doing the right things and telling people how good we are I don't think there'll be any problem at all," he said. Mr Gialouris said that reclassification under the State Government's throw our hands in the air and surrender." Mr Stewart said that the local economy was stronger than people realised. This was illustrated by his own building society branch which was the second biggest in the Eastern Suburbs, after Bondi Junction.

A FAR as Pagewood is council we're confident it's not going to be that detrimental. There's a good feeling in the area." According to Mr Wagstaff, the chamber of commerce was pursuing two main issues to help Maroubra resist incursion from Pagewood: an upgrading and beautification program including new paving and bollards and more parking spaces for shoppers. Mr Wagstaff said that apart from its enormous range of shops and department stores, Pagewood would have parking for 3,000 cars in one central car park. Council figures showed that Maroubra had only 1,100 spaces. He pointed out that Maroubra's central parking system was far from ideal for the modern shopper.

Continued Page 14 ra's. Chamber of Commerce, Mr Trevor Wagstaff, said that for the first time since the Stockland mall was built five years ago, small businessmen were really getting behind the common cause. It is a trend which has been fostered by the launching earlier this month of bi-monthly businessmen's lunches. Organiser Mr Garry Stewart, branch manager of the St George Building Society and an active member of the Maroubra Chamber of Commerce, said the response from businessmen suggested that the doom and gloom of four years ago had been replaced by a new spirit of optimism and enterprise. "Maroubra is digging in for a good fight," he said.

"We're not going to main schools of thought. Some business people, particularly in Hillsdale, say the worst is going to happen. They are pretty negative. Some are already preparing to sell their stores and pay off their staff. Eastlakes also believes it's going to detrimental.

"In Maroubra with proper advice and representation to the Spring Surprise noon Free B.B.Q. it's fun and filling BIG HEARTED TRADE-INS LOVING AFTER SALES SERVICE EXCLUSIVE HONDA DEALER WITH FULL RANGE OF NEW CARS OPEN 7 DAYS a 1 P.M. Scratch Win You could win up to $25,000 if, 'V V-St 7 3 P.M. 3gy- DL7004 Sunday Bonanza with gorffe sbsl Then Scratch Win including 100's in prizes Plus Evening Entertainment MAROUBRA SEALS CLUB 216-220 MARINE PARADE, MAROUBRA BEACH PHONE: 349 -2299 FOR INFORMATION OF MEMBERS GUESTS craft cishwhiro- 12 THE EASTERN HERALD, Thursday, Oct 2, 1936 12.