ILT hospitality projects taking shape
A need for inclusive family areas has pushed the Invercargill Licensing Trust to upgrade the Homestead Cobb & Co.
The Avenal complex, which has the Whitty’s Bar and The Brewer’s Elbow Sports Bar, will receive the make-over next year.
At an ILT meeting held on Thursday, chief executive Chris Ramsay discussed various upgrades throughout the trust’s properties, including Cobb & Co and the Kelvin Hotel.
He said the upgrade of Cobb & Co was needed because it was a bar that had a wide appeal with locals and visitors.
The construction would be completed in two stages, with the bar area being upgraded first.
It made no sense to open a brand new restaurant while beginning construction on a bar next door, Ramsay said.
‘‘The reason that we have chosen the bar area as stage one is just to provide as minimal impact on a new restaurant as possible.’’
Cost management was a big factor for the trust, with many projects going on at once, Ramsay said.
Upon a positive result from the trusts pending resource consent hearings for the planned inner city hotel, the plan was to reuse equipment and some materials from the Kiln and Barluca bars.
The two bars, set to close after December 21, have two kitchens and equipment that would be fit for repurpose, he said.
An upgraded children’s play area at Cobb & Co would make sure the establishment continued its strong family focus, he said. ‘‘We are going to fill that area with the best play area we can get for the kids.’’
While the area earmarked for the children’s space was known, Ramsay could not comment on the aspects of the area until the design process was finished.
‘‘I can’t confirm exactly what the children’s play area will be like as we haven’t settled on that aspect of the design yet.’’
Ramsay said the Kelvin Hotel’s exterior upgrade was behind schedule because of unpredictable weather but the expected upgrades were set to be complete by late December.
The scaffolding that has surrounded the inner-city hotel for the past months had been a headache, with wind and rain delaying progress, he said.
ILT board member Suzanne Prentice said once completed, it was going to be like ripping off a bandaid and seeing new, beautiful fresh skin.