Dealers thrive in shadows

City News, 16 March 2006 (by Sue Gardiner). Reproduced as a primary source.

City News Edition 1THU 16 MAR 2006, Page 005 Dealers thrive in shadows By words: SUE GARDINER

A commercial landlord has come under fire for allowing a Fortitude Valley strip to descend into a haven for drug-dealers and other anti-social behaviour.
Business leaders said undesirables are congregating on the footpaths outside Brunswick St railway station largely due to the lack of lighting and poorly maintained buildings.
For four years they have been trying to encourage the owner of the Walton building – Dr Chui Lee from Cathay Pty Ltd – to upgrade the deteriorating shops and its surrounds.
Brisbane City Council had offered to pay for upgraded lighting but was knocked back by Dr Lee.
An inspection by City News revealed grubby shop exteriors, crumbling shop interiors and smashed shop signs (pictured below) with exposed wiring.
Valley Chamber of Commerce president Carol Gordon said the unsavoury environment was “60 per cent” of the problem.
“There’s an old saying in the hotel industry, ‘If you change the carpet you change the clientele’,” Ms Gordon said.
A recent media report labelled the strip the grimmest in Queensland and quoted an unnamed business source blaming police for not properly patrolling the area.
“Everybody blames the police, but they can only work with what they’ve got,” Ms Gordon said.
Valley Community Safety Group chair Geoffrey Dick said: “(Dr Lee) just hangs onto the buildings till they go up in value.”
Brisbane City Councillor David Hinchliffe (Central) said: “Frankly I’m fed up with one or two land owners in the Valley who are holding this suburb almost to ransom.
“They have little or no regard for the common good.
“If there were some way council had of compelling these one or two errant property owners to do the right thing, I’d support it, but frankly both Council and the local community are powerless.”
Dr Lee could not be contacted but a real estate agent who manages his buildings said: “It doesn’t worry him. He doesn’t want to talk to anyone.”
Brisbane central district police Superintendent Tonya Carew said the area was “thinly lit” which made it harder to police. Caption: DARK TIMES: Valley business owner Geoff Dick (left) and Valley Chamber of Commerce president Carol Gordon blame an unsavoury environment for the area’s flourishing drug problem.