The City of Subiaco council has moved to seek a third opinion over serious structural integrity issues identified in two buildings on Hay Street, in a move that has astounded the owner.
The City of Subiaco council has moved to seek a third opinion over serious structural integrity issues identified at two Hay Street buildings on the verge of collapse, a move that has astounded the owner, private property firm Sanur.
The city council met last night to discuss the technical data from two independent structural engineering experts, which indicated that buildings 424-436 and 440 on Hay Street in Subiaco were unstable and at risk of collapse.
According to council documents, monitoring of the facades of both properties, which lean over Hay Street, revealed that the buildings were in an active state and continuing to move.
Engineering company Arup Group recommended demolition of the building as the appropriate course of action to eliminate the ongoing risks of collapse as a result of the contuned detrioration of the building.
Officers at the city had recommended it engage a structural engineer with heritage experience to undertake a building assessment and prepare a report and, if no further alternatives to demolition could be identified, that the council issue a building order to require demolition.
But councillors instead opted to seek a third opinion on the grounds that the buildings held heritage value, having been built between 1912 and 1921.
Sanur director Cara McIntyre said traders would bear the brunt of the decision and rejected claims that the buildings held heritage value.
“While the City of Subiaco Council chases its heritage rainbow, Hay Street will need to remain closed,” she said.
“The traders on Hay Street will continue to suffer, the broader community will continue to be inconvenienced, and residents on formerly quiet streets will suffer the traffic arising from western suburbs residents trying to find alternative ways home.
“Despite the city and the councillors knowing for many years that there is no heritage value in the buildings the councillors appeared to be convinced of their own assumptions that the buildings are heritage.
“They constantly referred to them as ‘heritage’ at last night’s meeting.
“They are not.
“They are merely old buildings that have been so heavily modified that much of the building fabric actually dates from 1986 and after.”
The firm had been progressing plans to ultimately develop the site into a commercial and retail precinct in a bid to revitalise of Subiaco.
A development application has been submitted to the State Development Asessment Unit for evaluation, a body formed by the state government to fast-track approvals and construction projects in the wake of COVID-19.
