Curation Team
COIMBATORE: Several commercial complexes under the Coimbatore Corporation remain unoccupied, with VOC Park Food Street and Valankulam Food Park failing to generate the expected revenue.
Traders say many of these spaces lie vacant due to prohibitively high rental costs and procedural shortcomings.
Other corporation-owned shops and complexes in areas such as DB Road, Patel Road, and Ram Nagar face similar challenges, with many remaining shuttered.
At VOC Food Street — a ₹1 crore initiative featuring 24 stalls — multiple shops remain without tenants, months after its launch.
Eight of them are now being put up for re-tender. Traders say the project’s intent was to benefit long-time vendors displaced during redevelopment, but things didn’t turn out as promised to them.
H Kani, a fast-food stall owner operating near VOC Grounds for over three decades, said that they were told the new stalls would be allotted to us.
“But later we had to compete in an open tender. The rent is nearly ₹27,000 per month, plus a hefty deposit. Earlier, we were running our stalls along the grounds without any rent. Some stalls don’t even have water or power. We’ve raised complaints, but until it’s resolved, we will continue in the space nearby.”
In some cases, traders who secured multiple stalls returned them, citing unaffordable costs. The high rent, coupled with delays in providing basic amenities, has deterred many from occupying the premises.
An official from the corporation confirmed that re-tendering was necessary due to allottees failing to submit the required deposits within the stipulated timeframe.
Opposition voices within the civic administration also point to flaws in the tender process. AIADMK councillor R Prabhakaran said that the tender window was too short — often just two or three days. “Vendors need more time to arrange funds. Also, one person should not be allowed to bid for multiple stalls. When they default, it results in avoidable revenue loss for the corporation,” he said.
Former councillor K Purushotaman alleged deeper issues, including the presence of syndicates manipulating tenders.
“Whether online or offline, a group controls the process. This must be addressed. Moreover, shop locations matter — areas like Patel Road are congested and dominated by workshops. Commercial activity is unlikely to flourish there,” he said.
Corporation commissioner M Sivaguru Prabhakaran acknowledged the setbacks and said steps are being taken.
“Shops near Brookfields, Raja Street, and DB Road are part of a public-private partnership (PPP) model, so final tender approval is yet to come. At Valankulam, the private firm in charge of maintenance was expected to develop the kiosks and food park. Since they’ve shown no progress, we’re planning to develop using corporation funds.”
