THE Waterfront has ‘turned into a ghost town’ in recent years – but life could be breathed back into it if more events were held there, according to the former general manager of one of the area’s closed businesses.
Gerry Larkins, who worked at Pizza Hut for two decades until it closed after the pandemic, cited staff shortages and a lack of community interest among the factors which had led to a decrease in commercial activity.
While the Jersey Development Company has submitted designs for a ten-year transformation of the space, concerns remain over what is on offer in the meantime, with one town Deputy suggesting that bringing a popular restaurant chain – such as Wagamama – to the Waterfront could tempt Islanders to the area.
Alongside Pizza Hut, The Bar – located next to Aquasplash – has also closed, while the future of the nearby Cineworld looks uncertain after the cinema chain filed for bankruptcy protection in the United States.
Mr Larkins started working for Pizza Hut in 2002 and said the area used to be ‘buzzing’ but had turned into a ‘ghost town’ in recent years.
‘I can see the Waterfront getting quieter; it never really bounced back after Covid,’ he added.
However, he said that holding regular activities and entertainment – such as stage events, music and pop-up stalls – could help to revive interest in the area and the surrounding businesses.
‘Look at the space you have down there,’ he said.
‘There is a lot of stuff you could put on just to bring people down there and get them involved. It’s not dead yet. There’s no reason why it can’t be brought back into the main scene again.’
Town centre and events manager Connor Burgher said: ‘I do recognise that point of view, although I will caveat that with the fact that there is a lot going on down at the Waterfront in terms of both planned and ongoing developments.’
The JDC’s ten-year transformation could include around 1,000 new homes, an ‘arthouse’ cinema, new indoor and outdoor swimming pools, a gym and a multi-purpose indoor area for children, as well as various food and retail amenities.
The company is also constructing 280 one-, two- and three-bedroom apartments and penthouses at the Waterfront as part of its Horizon scheme, which will feature a restaurant and retail quarter.
Mr Burgher said: ‘It is a shame that we have lost Pizza Hut and The Bar, and we don’t know what the future of Cineworld might be.’
He agreed with Mr Larkins’ comments about attracting people to the area through events, but added that it needed to be done ‘sensibly’ and in a way that wouldn’t adversely affect nearby residents.
‘It is important that a balance is struck, although it is a place that should be used and could easily become a great destination, helping to attract more people into St Helier which, in turn, could help businesses in town,’ he said.
St Helier South Deputy Tom Coles said that the area used to have more of a ‘nightlife’ aspect to it, with venues such as the former Liquid club, but pointed out that the upcoming developments would ‘provide an opportunity to bring it back to its former glory’.
He added that introducing a new chain restaurant – such as the Wagamama franchise – could improve the variety of businesses in the area and help cater to more Islanders.
‘You can’t rush things to get it right because then you will get it wrong and it will become the ghost town you are trying to avoid but I don’t think that it is beyond resuscitation,’ he said.
‘With careful planning and consideration, you could get the right businesses [down there] and improve the variety.’
