A Southport tattoo parlour owner is warning Nerang Street is in danger of becoming a business ghost town.
Ben Bramiff, of Gold Coast Tattoos, reopened his business this week after being forced to close because of the coronavirus outbreak.
"I think there are about eight shops left in the street and it was full," he said.
The Southport business precinct has battled a trifecta of trouble to stay afloat.
It began with disruption from construction of the light rail system, then the Commonwealth Games upheaval, and most recently coronavirus.
"We were struggling in Southport," Mr Bramiff said.
"We got hit with the light rail and that did a lot of damage and the businesses that didn't go under just managed to survive that.
"Then we were hit with the Commonwealth Games and they shut the whole of Southport down and people did stay away. The streets were empty.
"Then the corona[virus] got us and we were forced to shut again."
Mr Bramiff said he was relieved to be back in business and had noticed an interesting change in his customers.
He estimated 90 per cent of his current clients were women.
Skye Ronan was pleased Mr Bramiff could add two Chinese coins to her good-luck-themed arm tattoo.
But Mr Bramiff said businesses needed more than luck to keep afloat.
He pleaded for the City of Gold Coast to help promote the area to encourage locals to return to shopping.
"Otherwise Southport might not be a place to have a business in the future," he said.
"It's looking pretty grim at the moment."
Homeless spike
Homelessness has long been an issue in the area and Mr Bramiff said he had noticed a spike in numbers since the coronavirus pandemic.
"They're extremely out of control, nobody's policing them" he said.
"We've actually talked to officers who've come into the shop and apologised for not being able to help out, but they had something like four or five officers for the whole of Southport."
Mr Bramiff said within days of reopening he witnessed a brawl at 8:30am involving people he believed were homeless.
He also said they were swearing in front of children who were shopping with their parents.
"You're cleaning human faeces off the sidewalk out front of your business every morning," he said.
Gold Coast Youth Service chief executive Maria Leebeek agreed there had been a spike in homeless numbers in Southport and the Gold Coast generally, and she empathised with Mr Bramiff.
She said the Gold Coast lacked a three-tier support service similar to Brisbane where the council, police and not-for-profit groups worked together to provide a bridging service with supportive housing.
"People who have been rough-sleeping or who are unwell and need that extra support can be housed," Ms Leebeek said.
"That would be great to have here."
