Cade Lucas
Wyndham council will sell the Bridge Hotel in Watton Street, Werribee after a majority of councillors voted in favour of the move at a meeting on Tuesday, September 26.
Council adopted a recommendation that it sell the property at 197-199 Watton Street and amend the title boundary to separate the hotel from the West End car park which shares the site and which council wants to retain.
The recommendation was adopted by a vote of seven to two, with only councillors Marcel Mahfoud and Robert Szatkowski voting against.
In 2016 Wyndham council purchased the property on which both the hotel and car park sit for $5.4 million.
By that stage the Bridge Hotel, built in 1926, had by that stage fallen into disrepair, but has since been renovated and in 2020 reopened under the management of the MOL Pub Group.
It is expected to remain a hospitality venue.
“The sale presents and opportunity to bolster our cities finances,” said councillor Jasmine Hill in moving the motion.
“By selling this property at market value or greater we can secure much needed injections of revenue that can be reinvested in other Werribee city centre enhancing actions.”
Speaking against the sale, councillor Marcel Mahfoud said such a prominent site was worth hanging onto and urged a more cautious approach.
“There’s a good chance we could lose considerable money on the amount we purchased it for by selling it now,” Cr Mahfoud said.
“Hang onto it, think about it. It’s a site of significance, a site of importance.”
Councillor Adele Hegedich said the importance of 197-199 Watton Street was due to the West End car park and that council only bought the Bridge Hotel because it happened to be on the same site.
“We’re just divesting the hotel not the car park,” Cr Hegedich said.
The Bridge Hotel is expected to advertised for sale by the beginning of December.
And earlier recommendation that council sell its property at 8 Synnot Street, Werribee was also adopted.
The vacant lot is used as an informal car-park but is not considered suitable for conversion into a public parking space and could be developed for accommodation instead.
The property is also expected to be advertised for sale by December.
