Rising above the Ritz disgrace

SL

THROUGH all the investment, transformation, development, and beautification projects to hit our city over the past few decades, there has remained one notable black stain.

If in football parlance a team is only as good as its weakest link, then Geelong has been considerably weakened by the long-neglected Ritz apartments.

The once grand building, ideally located close to the waterfront, has been disused for more than 20 years and left by its previous owners to deteriorate into a state of disrepair.

But today’s revelation of the $30 million plan to transform the site into a 110-apartment complex will not only finally fix one of the city’s biggest eyesores, but will create one of the most exciting projects in our CBD.

Not to mention help meet our region’s growing tourist accommodation demands.

The project is an exciting one, providing upscale apartments with majestic views over the waterfront, while still celebrating the building’s rich history by restoring the facade to resemble its 1880 image.

It is the type of vision and investment the site has been crying out for and should add serious longterm economic benefits for the whole region in terms of jobs and tourism dollars.

It is also a testament to the determination shown by Geelong council in tackling the eyesore — going so far as to launch legal action against the previous owner for failing to repair the site, which resulted in massive court penalties and the subsequent sale and development opportunity.

Geelong’s skyline is undergoing a massive transformation, with the addition of major buildings including the WorkSafe complex and Mercer and Miramar apartment buildings, and as our population expands, it feels as if our city is coming of age.

While the rundown eyesore that was the Ritz remained, it was a signpost of a city that didn’t know how to realise its potential. This new, exciting project shows there’s no holding us back now.