00:03Roadblocks, detours and replacement buses, all part of months of disruptions in this
00:09beachside suburb as the tram line upgrade overlapped with a $40 million facelift.
00:15With the tram upgrade all but complete, there's been a vibe shift.
00:19Oh, it's definitely picking up.
00:21Heaps been up.
00:21I love the pavers.
00:22A sentiment shared by the mayor.
00:24It's great.
00:25Everybody is really excited that the tram's back.
00:27Matthew Blythe opened up a bar in the precinct last January.
00:31Every other week something felt like a new surprise.
00:34The algae was kind of the cherry on top.
00:37He says apart from less parking and more dirt, the venue wasn't really impacted by the action outside.
00:43We actually started getting busier.
00:45But customers weren't pouring for everyone.
00:47Data now shows us that a lot of people from around Adelaide didn't come down during the construction process
00:52and that really had a huge effect on the economy down here.
00:55That's in contrast to the messaging in October when the council said the local economy remained strong.
01:01After months of slower trade, some small business owners say more support is needed to help them bounce back.
01:07It was a dog's breakfast down here.
01:08No one could go anywhere.
01:10It was so gridlocked.
01:11Gallery owner Ian Matheson moved into a new space in October and says the disruptions led to fewer customers.
01:17It was quite a horrific drop.
01:20He says things have begun to pick up since the tram's returned and hopes to get back to usual sales
01:25once all the works wrap up.
01:26We'll be finished by August this year.
01:29Waiting for the makeover to be over.
01:34Part 7
01:35File
01:35Left 8ταν
01:37be Speed To
01:38be Speed
01:38You
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