IN AN effort to save an old woolstore from demolition, a group of designers and residents has come together under the name Adaptive Reuse.
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The group has also started a Facebook campaign to save the building at North Bank, which they think could be reused as a utilitarian function centre due to its size and aged industrial look – something that would be sought after in other places in Australia.
A member of the group, Duncan Burns, attended the previous full council meeting, where concerns were also raised that the demolition was not inline with the public consultation that occurred.
The North Bank masterplan amendments will go back before Launceston City Council on Monday.
The building is owned by the Crown, is not heritage listed and under council’s original plans, it was to be partially demolished.
Developer of the neighbouring Silo Hotel, Errol Stewart, approached the council to gain support to see it demolished, at his cost, and recycle some of the trusses in his project.
According to Mr Stewart the cost of the demolition would be between $150,000 and $200,000. However, he would be asking the council to pay for the disposal of the asbestos.
Mr Burns said he had the support of at least one corporate event planner who would use such a building to hold events, if it was available.
‘‘A building of this size, type and with aged industrial aesthetic is currently in demand from local and interstate operators, specifically for use in an event space but also offers the opportunity, through its utilitarian nature, of accommodating many uses,’’ he said.
He said the building could compliment the adjacent hotel and see it used by many groups for multiple uses, events and functions, as well as hold concurrent events because of its size.
Another group member Joel Fletcher said other old buildings had been retained in the city, such as the University of Tasmania’s School of Visual and Performing Arts and QVMAG.