Developer Bruce Bolam believes lower George Street is on its way to becoming one of the most vibrant streets in the CBD and, as the owner of 25 stores in that part of town, he has put his money where his mouth is.

In addition he has plans to develop the site of the old Osborne building.

Mr Bolam said by buying properties close to each other it is possible to improve a whole area. This in turn gives business owners confidence and a sense of pride.

“The shopkeepers in George Street are the backbone of the community,” Mr Bolam said.

“The beauty of it, when you look at the tenants, is they are all owner operated local businesses and therefore their profits stay in the town.

“Even when times are not the best they hang in there. They are here for the long haul.

“We are here for the long haul. I want to be proud of the legacy I leave behind.

“It’s about more than finance. I want to feel I am doing something positive for the city,” Mr Bolam said.

Vic Schembri from Bathurst First National Real Estate said trade has definitely picked up since they made the move to lower George Street.

He said the arrival of Dan Murphy’s at the bottom of the street has had a very positive impact, and First National’s new high profile location hasn’t hurt either.

“We believe that when Bruce Bolam revitalised that corner it provided an ideal opportunity to jump in,” Mr Schembri said.

“We are so confident in the area’s continued growth we are going to open seven days a week in the new year. We are already open all day Saturday,” he said.

Mr Schembri said lower George Street has become a good, diverse shopping area packed with sound, solid businesses that have been around for a long time.

He added that because so many food outlets are located in George Street it has become somewhere families pull up when they drive into Bathurst because it is easy to park. Foot traffic has also increased.

Leading Edge Electronics moved across the road into lower George because they felt they would receive greater exposure there.

Owner Phil Godwin said he has only been in this new location for three months and he’s already expanding the shop due to increased business.

He said George Street will soon be second only to William Street in retail activity.

“It is definitely the place to be because William Street is becoming very congested,” Mr Godwin said.

“The easy parking here is a real plus,” Mr Godwin said.

Dan Murphy’s Store Manager Brian Barnes said learning that people credit the store with bringing more business into the street was awesome.

“If we are a bit of a drawcard then that’s great for everyone,” he said.

Mr Barnes said lower George Street has proved to be a prime position.

“It has exceeded expectations,” he said.

However, he said he would like to see lower George involved more in race week activities as this year’s focus seemed to centre on Bathurst’s ‘other main street’ William Street.

“I felt we were a little out of the loop,” he said.