Here’s cheers to new possibility

IF there is anything that best exemplifies the blend of old and new in Geelong now then it is surely the hotel scene that has seen numerous established city buildings transformed into modern eateries.

Think of the Carrington Hotel being turned into a contemporary Italian restaurant, Centra, with a full and delicious menu to satisfy even the pickiest of food critics.

The former Corio Hotel (better known to younger residents as the Bended Elbow) has taken on the name of the Geelong Hotel and now comprises a light-filled, easyflowing dining room to which patrons have flocked.

These examples should fill bud- ding restaurateurs with confidence that if an opportunity arises to take possession of such a building that a little hard work can produce results in a short time frame.

It should also serve as a timely reminder that there need not be the type of unnecessary bulldozing of our city’s older buildings that has taken place in the past, only to discover that new and often ugly buildings have been put up in there place.

In recent weeks, Darcy Jarman has listed for sale the circa-1855 Bush Inn Hotel, around the corner from the site of the future Work- Safe headquarters.

Darcy Jarman director Tim Darcy said although it was purely coincidence the property was put on the market so soon after the WorkSafe announcement, it was clearly an area that would see a lot of foot traffic in the years to come.

And while restaurateurs will be likely to show an interest in the property, Mr Darcy said it had a high level of versatility.

“It’s a bit of an iconic pub, it’s being going since circa 1855-60, but as much as it’s been traditionally a well patronised food and beverage pub, there is probably in the medium to long-term a better use for the site,” he said.

“I think probably a number of different things could fill the bill, it could have an integration of retail, some commercial and maybe some residential, it could have the full complement.

“But it’s a walk-in, walk-out basis, so you could continue to run the hotel as a hotel if you choose and that also brings in a potential end-user like our current vendor.”

The site covers 956sq m and possesses two street frontages that total in excess of 67m.

It will go to auction on March 24 and is positioned within the activity centre zone, allowing for the wide range of development out- comes Mr Darcy believes could yet take place.

“We haven’t seen a sizeable or strategic landholding within that precinct between Malop St and the waterfront come to the fore for quite some time,” he said.

“It’s very much an evolving precinct and WorkSafe will obviously be a fairly significant tonic for the area.

“There are still obviously some other sites there that could potentially fulfil the criteria for the NDIA requirement, so that’s an important part of what the property offers.”