Belcher’s remains in limbo
NO DATE has been set for the demolition of the troubled Belcher’s Corner building, almost four months after it was due to come down.
And a time frame for when the demolition can be expected remains a mystery.
City of Greater Geelong planning and development director Gareth Smith confirmed no date had been set for the historic CBD building’s demolition.
“The administrator has kept the City informed of his progress regarding the future demolition of the building,” Mr Smith said. “The timeline for demolition will be outlined in the plans developed by the administrator.
“We continue to monitor the situation to ensure public health and safety.”
Robert Evans, who was appointed as administrator of the building’s owners corporation, did not respond to request for comment. Businesses were evacuated from the building, on the corner of Ryrie and Moorabool streets, in the middle of last year. Testing revealed: THE building’s basement masonry retaining walls, which were supporting footpaths and road reserves in Ryrie and Moorabool streets, were in danger of collapsing;
THE facade of the building facing both streets are out of vertical and horizontal alignment; and,
COLUMNS and beams impacted by severe concrete cancer did not meet CFA standards for fire resistance.
City of Greater Geelong completed stabilisation works on the building.
Council issued an emergency demolition order for the building in September, stating it should be down by December 31.
But owners failed to submit a demolition plan by the council’s October deadline, and VCAT appointed an administrator, Mr Evans, to the building’s owners corporation in November.
The appointment followed divisions among owners about how to fund the increasingly expensive demolition process.
Danetha Pty Ltd which owns several lots on the site, lodged an appeal against the City of Greater Geelong to cancel the emergency order but it was dismissed and the order upheld.