Old pub worse for wear

Council may order demolition

A COUNCIL building surveyor will decide whether an 1850s era former city pub should be demolished after several engineers reported it wasn’t structurally sound.

The City’s municipal building surveyor also issued interim orders to secure the site around 208 Moorabool St, Geelong, and remove a cantilevered awning that is a safety threat to pedestrians.

The council took the steps to isolate the building from the public after a recent inspection by the surveyor showed the building was not structurally sound.

The report showed the awning was poorly connected to a point of structural weakness in the brick building, which is heritage listed by the council.

The awning will be removed tomorrow, while a hoarding will secure the rear of the property, which the Advertiser reported last year had been the target of vandals, drug users and rough sleepers.

The surveyor will decide the building’s future next week, the council said.

Acting director of planning and development Geoff Lawler said it was “important the council ensure the community’s safety while making a thorough assessment of the future of this old building”.

“It is unfortunate to see the state of this building, which has been weakened by changes made about 60 years ago when it was converted into a shop,” Mr Lawler said.

The building was built in 1851 as the Brian Boru Hotel, but its facade was substantially altered in the late 1950s, affecting its structural integrity.

The works are being done in consultation with the City’s heritage adviser.

Paul Votsaris, project manager on the site for the building’s owners, Nisa Holdings, said the problems were discovered as the owners were gutting the interior after the last tenants moved out.

Nisa Holdings bought the property for $430,000 in 2015.

Mr Votsaris, a son of prominent CBD property owner and developer Bill Votsaris, said if the council ordered its demolition, the owners would cover the cost.

“I’ve been working with the council for a while. We hope to repair the building but it seems it’s passed its useby date,” he said.

“We’ve had a few engineers reports done to investigate its structural integrity,” Mr Votsaris said.

“It would make a great development site, we think. We are keen to see something great happen to this site. But we will see what they think.”