The City of Mount Gambier will commence a market sounding process to find a suitable tenant for the old Mount Gambier Railway Station building in the new year, following endorsement at the December Council meeting held last night.
The 103-year-old heritage-listed building underwent a significant facelift in 2020 to restore many of its original external elements and features including tiled roofing, new guttering, painting and restorative stonework.
Additional works to improve the integrated public toilet amenities and modernise the air conditioning and ventilation will be undertaken this financial year.
"The building is considered a landmark site and an asset in the context of the revitalisation of the Railway Lands precinct and its positioning as a connector between the CBD and Wulanda Recreation and Convention Centre," City of Mount Gambier City Growth General Manager Tim Coote said.
Council discussed future options for the building at a workshop in the broader context of the surrounding Railway Land and Olympic Park precincts.
Council hopes to attract a suitable and sustainable anchor tenant for the building to further drive the realisation of community aspirations for this site and the surrounding precinct. - City Growth General Manager Tim Coote
"We are currently developing guiding principles around the activation of the Central Business District which will provide a framework for the pursuit of an appropriate tenant, ensuring any proposed use is also considered within the broader strategic context of the surrounding area."
The scope of any additional internal site works will be paused during the tenancy exploration process to ensure fit out requirements are suited to the building's ongoing use and function.
"In addition, opportunities for co-contribution to further enhance or fit out the building will be explored at the point of commercial negotiation."
It is proposed that the initial market sounding process will be open for a period of approximately eight weeks, commencing in the first quarter of 2022.
"The process will invite responses to a range of criteria, ensuring that proposals consider elements such as acknowledging the significance of the site in connection to the CBD, enhancing the Railway Lands precinct as a premier destination in Mount Gambier
through the provision of high-quality, regionally connected, products and/or services and the capacity to deliver the concept to the standards expected of a landmark tenancy through
prior experience or execution of similar projects," Mr Coote said.
Suitable candidates will be invited to further explore the commerciality of their concept in collaboration with Council.
