Artarmon Village Inc is the area’s chamber of commerce. We represent local businesses, particularly retailers, and provide a voice to Willoughby City Council and other authorities on matters to help your shops offer even better services and facilities.

Artarmon Village Inc is giving feedback to the Council on its proposal to redevelop the shopping precinct. Work has started around Wilkes Avenue and plans have been presented about changes to the Hampden Road shopping strip.

We have ideas about using and repurposing the Village Green, the grassed area north of the railway exit in Hampden Road.

What attractions do you think would bring more shoppers to Artarmon? Perhaps small outdoor areas for brief concerts or performances or farmers’ markets? Other ideas from our brainstorming include a pop-up coffee shop.

The most significant change is for the traffic lights and pedestrian crossing at the station entrance to be moved along Hampden Rd to the Broughton Road corner.

 Empty shops are a downer for shopping strips. Although it appears rents have fallen in recent months, so has the confidence to start a new business. Businesses are hurting from roadwork delays.

Recently Brand Street traffic was interrupted for weeks and now Elizabeth Street has been partly blocked for work on Wilkes Avenue. Artarmon Village Inc has complained to Willoughby City Council about the most recent Elizabeth Street and Wilkes Avenue blockage where there seems to have been no progress for five weeks.

We are frustrated that there are no public toilets at Artarmon. We have been requesting this for many years and still they are only on the plans. In our future representations to the Council, we will be pressing this case yet again.

We hope that the worst of the Covid-19 pandemic is over. It is great that most of our local businesses have survived, even though few have thrived.

For food and beverage outlets, we hope the new developments will allow for more outdoor dining for everyone’s convenience and pleasure.

For local offers and events follow us on Facebook: @artarmonvillage. If you would like to get involved in our committee and have some time on your hands, new ideas are most welcome. We would love to hear from you.

“This is the Artarmon Village section of the Artarmon Gazette. To read the full copy of the Gazette please click here“