Town Hall businesses uncertain after metro cancellation

Two months after the State Government deferred the CBD Metro, businesses near Town Hall say they are still living in a world of uncertainty.

The businesses in the building at the corner of Park Street, between Pitt and George Streets, had been served Proposed Acquisition Notices to make way for the construction of the Town Hall Metro Station and Square.

Some are now stuck with dual leases after taking steps to vacate, while others are waiting for Sydney Metro to pay back valuation and legal fees.

In the Pittsway Arcade food court at 303 Pitt Street, Malacca Straits Thai owner Sutatip Numkeatsakul said she now has two leases.

“It’s very hard to decide [what to do] because the new shop … will be finished next month some time, but I’m still locked in this place too,” she said.

“I don’t know how the new shop will go, maybe it will make a loss, and [I’m] locked over there for seven years. That’s why I don’t know what I’m going to do … It’s very hard now.”

Another tenant in the building, who asked not to be named, said that far from being relieved at the deferring of the Metro, many shopkeepers still felt uncertain.

“Most of the tenants are concerned about the wording of the letter saying the project has been deferred,” he said.

“That means, how long are we staying at this location? They can’t really plan … how can you commit to capital expenditure?”

Businesses affected by the Metro proposal and subsequent canning were invited by Sydney Metro to submit claims for fees incurred by 31 March.

But Jason Blaiklock, from Australian Opal Cutters questioned why his business should have to lodge a claim and wait for monies that were already promised by Sydney Metro.

“They said that the … figures would not be under any form of dispute,” he said.

“So why is there any delay in paying what is under no dispute and very straightforward?

“These invoices … are a list of valuations, legal advice, accountants figures that were all advised for us to get by Sydney Metro, [who] at a number of times said that these would be paid quickly.”

A spokesperson for NSW Transport & Infrastructure said a process had been established to ensure that claims were dealt with fairly and quickly.

“The NSW Government acknowledges that owners and lessees participated in good faith in the property acquisition process for the CBD Metro,” the spokesperson said.

“The Government will reimburse the owners and tenants for reasonable costs incurred through the acquisition process in accordance with the “Just Terms Compensation Act”.”

The spokesperson added that claims were being dealt with on a case by case basis, and services firm KPMG had been appointed to assist in assessing claims.