IT’LL be worth the pain, Fitzroy St businesses say as they look out at the new streetscape.
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Tamworth Regional Council was putting the finishing touches on the $4.5 million revamp on Friday.
While it has been a lean period for businesses on the street, they’re looking for positives now the work is done.
Post Office Hotel licensee Andrew Coutts said he was “all for it”.
“I think the benefits of it will, hopefully, outweigh what’s been happening in the construction time,” Mr Coutts said.
“For us, it means we’ll possibly get 40 to 50 seats out the front and an al fresco dining licence, so that’s a benefit.”
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He said the dining licence could be approved as early as next week.
Mr Coutts said there had been some “ill feeling” among patrons about the expense of the project, but he was still a supporter.
“I think the CBD was lacking a little bit, obviously it’s got a benefit to us, so I’m all for it,” he said.
“Obviously, everybody’s got an opinion on what they think should have happened.
“I think council has done pretty well, the time frame they’ve set out, they’re a couple of days over, but you’ve got to expect that with construction.”
Across the road, The Scarf Room owner Leonie Carroll said it had been a “hard eight months”.
“We’ve had to struggle for the last few months,” she said.
“But, now it’s done so we’re trying to be positive and think positively.”
She said it “remained to be seen” whether it would be a boon for her business.
Locals Paul and Helen Taylor were inspecting the new-look street on Friday morning and like the “overall aspect” of it.
Mr Taylor was concerned there appeared to be no shade in the redeveloped area.
“I mean, country music and February, I suppose even if you did have seating there, to me, no one is going to sit down in 40 degrees if you haven’t got the the cover,” Mr Taylor said. He hoped the finished works would “revitalise” the businesses after being “under the pump”.