News & Discussion: CBD Retail

[The Scooter Guy]

Bettys Burgers are opening in the former American Apparel store on Rundle Street.

https://www.bettysburgers.com.au/

Let's hope it will succeed for several years!

[Mpol03]

Kind of think they have moved into a large location at the wrong time? The gourmet burger phase in dining isn’t new. And we have some pretty good places as is. I find Betty’s to be overpriced and overrated but I agree, let’s hope they do well.

[SRW]

I’m happy to see the place leased, as it’s been a pretty conspicuous gap on Rundle Street. But I have to say I think that burgers are pretty much a done thing in the area. And I would have rathered one or more retail outlets found to take up this site. The boutiques on Rundle are becoming more and more disconnected, which I think limits the strip’s appeal as a shopping street.

[Nathan]

That's a massive space for a burger chain — it'll be the largest restaurant on the street. Plus they'll be up against Burger Theory and Grill'd, with Hungry Jacks and McDonalds very close as well. Very odd.

[Patrick_27]

I always said that site would make a good fast-food outlet. If Betty's succeeds, it could spell the end of Burger Theory on the East End, I know they haven't been doing too well at that outlet since their shift to kangaroo meat from beef, be interesting to see how it all plays out!

[Yak_Forger]

Eh, if the whole place livens up, it's a good sign ; a healthy retail street is always a proof of an economically healthy city, its heartbeat pulse if you want. Why? Because it means that 1) the locals have money to buy stuff, that 2) real estate is being bought and that 3) it's interesting to invest there, which will bring more investments in indirectly related fields (hostels, entertainment, restaurants, and it may even lead to the opening of a second retail street to "challenge" the first with a wider/cheaper/more interesting offer). I mean, it's even how experts have determined that Athens is back on track : https://tranio.com/articles/street-reta ... spotlight/

[Llessur2002]

The top of the new glazing on the front of RMP is being uncovered - it's going to look great:



Also, internally, the escalator from the Rundle Mall entrance down to the lower ground floor has been installed:



And the new set of stairs leading from the rear of the plaza into the office lobby has been unveiled:

[Llessur2002]

Cladding has started to go on the side of RMP - it's a matte white to answer a question raised previously. Hoarding has also been removed so doors and glazing (obscured) are visible:



The awning cladding is completed along the western side of the building - they've squared it all off and got rid of the silver which looks much more modern:



Inside things are slowly taking shape. Looks like the escalators will be swanky illuminated jobbies:



Also looks like a subtle message was left by whoever applied the fireproofing to the structural steel several decades ago...

[Brucetiki]

Light up escalators would be a very H&M thing to do

[Patrick_27]

I still would have liked to see the types of large windows being installed on the foodcourt level be installed all the way up to the top. The office floor windows look like such an afterthought and there's no unity in the external appearance of the building...

[Allkai]

H & M opening date is 2nd November, confirmed in the paper today.

[Nathan]

I still would have liked to see the types of large windows being installed on the foodcourt level be installed all the way up to the top. The office floor windows look like such an afterthought and there's no unity in the external appearance of the building...

And further destroy the building? No thanks.

[Llessur2002]

More glazing exposed:



With respect as to whether the rest of the building should be glazed to match, I'm inclined to say yes. The original building has been butchered so much that it's a random mess of styles - removing the small windows and glazing the entire panels to match the new food court area would at least unify the different areas of the facade and in a way would be more of a nod to the original style of the building of large panels framed by dark marble. Leave the 60s framed windows at the top and I think it would look quite good.

Interesting to note that the dark marble framing has been replaced on the newly-glazed area. I thought the original marble might have been retained but apparently not.

[Nort]

Seeing that glazing put in makes me look at the Myer Centre next door and wonder what, if anything, could be done to make it look less dated.

[timtam20292]

That news agency just outside Coles in the Central Market Arcade closed down and has now been removed.