Caversham Community Group leader Tony Culling said South Rd had become an ‘‘eyesore’’, and a group of about 40 residents met recently to discuss ways to improve the busy street. One of the ideas floated was to put AI-generated pictures or murals on empty shop windows, to make them look like busy fruit and vege shops, bakeries, cafes or stationery/bookshops. Long-term residents had witnessed the loss of many services in the suburb, including banks, butcheries, dairies, bakeries, taverns, a post office, stationery shop, clothing stores,
appliance repair services, sewing machine sales and services, stained glass providers, auto sound sales and services, furniture sales and restoration, and a burger bar, he said. As the stores closed, landowners bought the empty premises with a view to using them or leasing them out, but many of the properties had remained vacant with minimum attention to maintenance, he said. ‘‘Rundown, dilapidated, neglected and embarrassing were all words used to describe the Caversham Shopping Centre at the meeting.’’ ‘‘From what we’ve gathered from the community,
there’s demand for it. ‘‘Some younger residents said at the meeting that they are here for the long haul. ‘‘They have been able to get their first home.’’ They wanted to feel pride in their area, he said. ‘‘They want destinations to share with their friends and neighbours.’’ Ultimately, it was hoped if the empty shops looked ‘‘loved’’, ‘‘appreciated’’ and well looked after, businesses would be more likely to lease or buy them. ‘‘But at the moment, the commerce or the business world obviously hasn’t
got confidence to do that because all the neighbouring buildings look so run-down. Many of the empty store owners and tenants had been approached and given approval for pictures to be put on their front windows, but the rest of the buildings also needed attention. Mr Culling said another community meeting would be held tonight, in the St Peter’s Anglican Church Hall, Hillside Rd, at 7pm. ‘‘The object of this follow-up meeting is to identify some perhaps younger ones — but it wouldn’t matter what
age really — to form a small team of maybe five or six people, who’ve got the energy and time to develop a ‘charm offensive’ for the landlords. ‘‘Try and find a way to start some dialogue and see if there’s a way that they’ll be open to doing some cosmetic work to the front of their buildings. ‘‘I think that’s very doable, it’s just a matter of communication and coming up with solutions really.’’ john.lewis@odt.co.nz
Caversham, South Rd, AI murals, empty shop windows, Tony Culling, community meeting, St Peter’s Anglican Church Hall, Hillside Rd