Victoria Melbourne - PARTY TOWN !!!, page-22

PARTY TOWN ??
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A Melbourne restaurateur has slammed claims city activity has returned to pre-pandemic levels, and has coined the CBD a “ghost town” that is “derelict” after walking along its very empty streets.

Lino Scidone, who owns some of Southgate’s most acclaimed diners and bars, says he is “sick and tired” of talks the “city is back”, when all he sees are lease boards and minimal foot traffic.

The entrepreneur who has been operating his businesses in Southbank for 21 years, walked around Melbourne on Tuesday in a bid to prove his claims that the city is dead.

“I walk this city just about every day and feel its soul being sucked out of it,” he said in a Facebook post.

Mr Scidone strolled down what used to be some of the city’s busiest streets, including Elizabeth Street which, according to the City of Melbourne’s website, is one of the most “significant” streets in the CBD.

“It is an entrance to Melbourne’s central retail area and a primary city transport route,” the council website states, noting it’s currently undergoing works to improve and “extend the quality of Melbourne’s retail heart”.