Stuart Davey said the renovations to Easdowne House set a great tone for the street, and sees great potential for the town to grow and capture so much more to be the vibrant, prosperous town Corowa should be.
Sanger St has endured a torrid time in recent years, with businesses closing, shops left empty, and locals crying foul that Ball Park’s closure six years ago has left the town bereft of tourist income.
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But it’s not all doom and gloom for the town, with a spate of recent building renovations, new business, and expanding businesses lifting the profile of the iconic main street.
There’s a new nail salon in town, The Green Bean was renamed to Corowa Noodle House and is now open for dinner, and Origin Clothing has expanded with a new boutique outlet near the Post Office.
Businesses are working hard to breathe life back into the street and entice locals and tourists to get out and about to discover and enjoy the character that Corowa offers.
Corowa Noodle House now offers evening dining to add a different flavour to the few options available on Sanger St, with others keen to follow suit.
Docs Coffee and Eatery owner Chevy Leahy said they were trying to offer people more dine in options at night.
Docs had previously offered Friday night pop up dining but are now looking to kick that up a notch with a liquor licence and more evening dining on the cards.
“We made our Friday night dining a weekly affair about a month ago,” Chevy said.
“We’re looking to turn this place into a wine bar by night, three days a week, with share plates, beer, wine and cocktails.
“The menu might creep into Asian fusion, with a beer and burger night once a week.
“We’ve already opened at night for the Military Swim-in and other special events and want to continue to bring that to Sanger St.”
Sanger St’s classic feel presents a unique environment for locals and tourists, with the potential for more dining venues to capitalise and thrive within its embrace.
Stuart Davey moved to Corowa about 11 years ago with his partner Gyll and fell in love with the river views and the history and character of the town.
He wants nothing more than to see the town thrive and succeed.
Stuart said Corowa was an ideal location to retire to, being close to Melbourne and near many places to enjoy, sip and savour in the King Valley and Rutherglen.
“Corowa has so much to be proud of,” he said.
“Sanger St has an energized look and should be backed, encouraged and praised by Council.
“One new shop complements another, and that is what’s taking place in Sanger St.
“The importance and significance of Federation should be built on and featured more; Federation Museum is very special and should be linked with the Visitor Information Centre.
“Recent renovations to Easdowne House have triggered confluence up the street, and development of The Globe could potentially have the same effect; they are the first buildings you see coming into town after crossing the bridge.”
Docs Coffee and Eatery is now bustling with energy and looking to add another dining and social option for customers at night.
Matt Humphreys has lived in this area his whole life, and as a realtor has some insight on the ebbs and flows of a country town.
“I’ve seen Rutherglen go from a struggling town to not having an empty shop in the main street,” Matt said.
“We have an inventory of people who want shops over there, whereas 10 years ago there were eight or nine empty shops in that street.”
The iconic main street of Corowa carries great history and offers so much potential to be a thriving destination venue, with businesses working together to bring out the best the street has to offer.
Matt said it shows the people of Corowa what has happened in Rutherglen over the last 10 years and was a source of positivity to what Corowa could achieve.
“The local businesses are trying hard to grow the street,” he said.
“It’s a work in progress at the moment, but if Ball Park gets going, the golf club stays open, and the airport stays open, all of a sudden the tourists that were coming here that no longer do will start to come back.”
