A Water Street business owner says downtown St. John’s is in “significant trouble.”

Todd Perrin, who owns the restaurant Rabble, says opinion is divided on the impact the Pedestrian Mall has had on downtown businesses.

He says setting up sidewalk patios has become an expensive endeavour for some businesses without the desired impact.

The City of St. Johns has issued a survey, seeing input from businesses on the pedestrian mall, and Perrin says now is the time to re-examine the impact of the Pedestrian Mall and whether it’s working to help address foot traffic in the downtown.

“Everyone you talk to at the city and beyond is well aware and is very settled on the fact that St. John’s downtown is at a tipping point and needs some significant help, infrastructure and work. And I think that the pedestrian mall is a catalyst to kind of turn the corner on the very low points that downtown St. John’s finds itself in right now,” he said.