Razer gang’s all set
Work on Belcher’s begins
“It is important that this demolition takes place as efficiently as possible, while protecting the community’s safety at all times.”
PARTIAL road closures will affect traffic around Geelong CBD’s main intersection for about a fortnight as authorities close in on demolishing the dangerous Belcher’s Corner building.
Concrete delivery trucks will be parked on Ryrie St from tomorrow to allow stabilising sand and concrete to be poured into the basement of the crumbling building.
The council expects lanes on Ryrie St to reopen before 9am each day during the twoweek works, to minimise any disruption to traffic and surrounding businesses.
“The works … will ensure the Belcher’s Corner building is stabilised and no longer at imminent risk of collapse,” council’s planning and development director, Gareth Smith, said.
The late 1920s-era building is expected to be demolished before the end of the year, in line with an emergency order issued by the council in September.
Filling the basement with stabilised sand is the last step in making the building, situated on the corner of Ryrie and Moorabool streets, safe to dismantle.
Mr Smith said representatives of the council would meet with administrator Robert Evans, who is
CITY HALL’ S GARETH SMITH
acting on behalf of the building’s owners’ corporation, to finalise plans for the demolition.
“These plans must be approved by independent civil engineers and the City’s municipal building surveyor,” Mr Smith said.
“It is important that this demolition takes place as efficiently as possible, while protecting the community’s safety at all times.”
The 27-lot building has been closed since late July, with tenants forced to evacuate after the site was found to be at risk of collapse.
The shocking state of the structure is also financially impacting on the 20 owners, with several facing the prospect of losing their investments.
“We’re still looking at around $1 million for the demolition, but that’s on top of the close to $1 million that’s already been spent,” owners’ corporation committee chairman Nathan Holmes said.