Locals petition again to solve the 'derelict' Richardson Shops

Richardson Shops have again come under fire for sitting empty, covered in graffiti and derelict.

The IGA supermarket moved out of the small shopping precinct at Block 4 Section 454 of Clift Crescent in 2019, followed by the last tenant – a hairdressing salon – in 2022.

According to residents, the site has been falling into a state of disrepair ever since, with no action taken by either the owner or the government to arrest this. After years of waiting, they’ve had enough.

“It has been damaged extensively – all the windows are boarded up and covered in graffiti,” Caitlin Tough said.

“I know how important it is for residents to have access to services and to have local facilities maintained and kept clean. The owners of Richardson shops seem to have failed the local community on both of those things.”

Ms Tough has launched an online petition to the ACT Government, sponsored by Labor MLA and speaker Joy Burch.

Among the petitioners’ demands are a “full update from the owner on any future plans for the site” and “advice of what alternate use of the land and site can be considered”.

“Being right next to the park, many families find the space unwelcoming,” Ms Tough said.

“As a working mum, I know how vital our community parks are as a low-cost and close-to-home family activity.”

It’s not the first time the issue has been raised through a petition.

Kathy Ditz, who ran the local hairdresser for more than a decade, joined forces with Canberra Liberals MLA Nicole Lawder to launch a similar petition in 2022.

“Every time I drive past it, it really grinds my gears,” Ms Ditz told Region at the time.

“It looks terrible and it’s really disgusting. It’s like a slap in the face saying this is as good as it’s going to get for you guys in Richardson.”

The petition had accrued 513 signatures by the time it closed, and the government agreed to contact the leaseholder to “remind them of their obligations to maintain the leasehold, including keeping it in a clean state”.

For now, the owners of Richardson Shops, Michalis Investments, told Region, “We don’t want it sitting there empty as it’s giving us no return and negative rent”, but they accused the government of knocking back attempts to get a childcare centre, mechanics workshop, and service centre/shop in.

“All we are doing is cleaning up, replacing broken glass, cleaning graffiti, and removing people’s rubbish from the back,” Kostas Michalis said.

In an update, Mr Michalis said they are “currently negotiating with prospective tenants for the site and are excited with the possibilities”.

The government said there is little it can do.

“As Richardson Shops are privately owned, including the car parking area, there are limits to what the ACT Government can do to revitalise them,” the response from Chief Minister Andrew Barr read.

The biggest weapon in the arsenal, he explained, are ACT property taxes.

“If a property sits vacant, general rates are still payable for the property even if these services are not being used … There are existing economic incentives for ensuring properties are made available to the leasing market where possible.”

Since then, the government has also finalised “strategies” for each of Canberra’s districts, including Tuggeranong. This identifies Richardson among “possible local and group centres for investigating appropriate planning and non-planning initiatives to support their ongoing viability and role as a community meeting place”.

ACT Legislative Assembly Speaker and Labor member Joy Burch is sponsoring the new petition, believing there is an “opportunity now” to do more by reconsidering conditions placed on crown leases and associated purpose clauses.

“While it may not be possible for existing leases, future leases granted for local shopping centres could have stricter terms to prevent shop owners from leaving their shops empty for long periods or becoming derelict,” she said.

“I note that the minister is reviewing planning controls around shopping centres to see what opportunities there may be for more housing, which may act as an incentive for investment and renewal at existing shopping.”

The controls she’s referring to were floated by new planning minister Chris Steel, who outlined hopes to combine apartments with local shopping complexes, as is happening at the Giralang Shops in Belconnen. Dickson Village is another recent example, with Coles and other smaller shops underneath five levels of 140 residential apartments.