Those making comment that the Phoenix Carpark is only busy during Christmas holiday period day time, should cast their minds back a few years.

The carpark was heavily patronised year-round until the dreaded parking charges were introduced.

As predicted, the usage dropped as shoppers opted for the free on street parking.
Who will benefit from the change from car-parking to green space? Certainly the developer leading the proposal, whose hard to let retail sites border the carpark, and the Tauranga City Council, which see it as a way to reduce debt while pillaging the in-fill development fund for the conversion.

Who will not benefit? Surely the retailers, who will lose customers not prepared to walk 500 metres from site proposed as replacement parking. Businesses being established in the shopping centre are required to provide parking spaces before council consent is given.

Council allowed spaces in the Phoenix Carpark to be counted for the projected development to comply.

How will these businesses comply if the parking spaces are removed?
Also puzzling is the support for this conversion by Mount Mainstreet, rather than supporting developing more retail space.

'We have enough retail space” is their reported comment.

Surely one of their objectives is to promote and support business development?

Les Cresswell,
Mount Maunganui.