Marlborough CBD update highlights challenges and opportunities

Next weekend, as February draws to a close, swashbucklers will roam the streets of Blenheim Town Centre. Fear not, they mean no harm – quite the opposite. Pirates of the CariBlenheim, a treasure hunt through the CBD, fits squarely in broad-based efforts at downtown revitalisation.

“Events such as this are part of the puzzle,” said Marlborough District Councillor Ben Stace, whose portfolio includes the central business district. “It is fantastic to have private enterprise pushing that forward.

“We have Space Create to help alleviate the empty-shoppe situation, and we will have more coming in that space, but it’s great having those guys [event organisers Clayton Knowles and Vish Prasad of Ray White Marlborough] helping bring some life back.”

The councillor and his colleagues recently heard a report about the CBD’s vitality. As reported in the previous Weekly, the Town Centre Health Check found that consumers spent 7.5 per cent less – $21.5 million – last year than in the preceding 12 months.

Blenheim Town Centre accounts for nearly a third of Marlborough’s spend tally. CBD receipts totalled $275.3 million from December 2024 to November 2025.

Mitigating that disappointment, at least somewhat, vacancy rate dropped from 8 per cent in 2024 to 5 per cent in 2025.

The report incorporated a survey of 280 pedestrians. Neil Henry, manager of Council’s strategic management group, assessed findings thusly: “The town continues to perform well in the look and feel of its street environment. People are spending more time in the Town Centre, with 63 per cent of survey respondents staying over an hour or more.”

Moving forward

Embedded in the status update is room for improvement – a self-evident conclusion for businesses in the CBD. Post-COVID challenges include competition from the big-box centre Westwood, which continues to expand, and shoppers’ disaffection with metered parking.

Kylie Cornelius, executive officer of the Marlborough Chamber of Commerce, was not surprised by the health check’s diagnoses. That said, she appreciated the data-driven presentation to decision-makers.

“It was nice that it was acknowledged that Town Centre needs revitalisation, and that aligns with what Council [leaders] are looking to do later in the year with the Market Street refresh,” she observed.

That renovation is not without controversy. Storefronts that stand to have construction at their front doors worry about impacts to their businesses.

In this regard, Picton may offer an encouraging example. The same CBD report revealed that smaller Town Centre enjoyed an uptick in consumer spend – 2.5 per cent, or $2.4 million, to $96.7 million – despite the London Quay construction project.

The Council has not finalised plans for Market Street; preparing for that eventuality, Kylie and Ben have joined with Councillor Brian Dawson, manager of Business Trust Marlborough, to brainstorm strategies for support and communication.

“We appreciate that there will be pain before there is a lot of gain for the CBD retailers,” Kylie noted. “We know that from other regions of the country where this kind of work has had to happen. It’s nice to hear Council recognise the balance of disruptions versus the greater good.”