Entertainment Centre wildcard in rail plans

CHANNEL Seven remains open to offers for the purchase of the defunct Perth Entertainment Centre.

Channel Seven’s chief operations officer, David Aspinall, said the network would continue to be receptive to redevelopment ideas from the State Government or City of Perth.

“It is obvious that we are very keen for the site to be developed and if an acceptable offer was made we would consider it,” he said.

Since the centre’s doors closed for the last time in August 2002, the site and its owners have been entwined in the uncertainty surrounding the sinking of the railway line separating Perth and Northbridge. As a result the network has been forced into a stalemate.

In July last year the network unsuccessfully tried to sell the site to the State Government for between $20 million and $30 million.

On numerous occasions Seven has attempted to obtain City of Perth council approval to demolish the building and rezone the site to allow for a $160 million mixed residential/commercial development.

To date, all applications have been rejected or deferred, with the City of Perth citing concern about the development’s impact on the long-term redevelopment of the central railway land area.

The council also asked the WA Planning Commission not to approve any rezoning application by Channel Seven to develop the 22,000sqm Wellington Street site.

If the Fremantle and South West Metropolitan Railway were to be sunk, the Entertainment Centre and the Perth Central Bus Station would be the main features to substantially affect the site’s composition of residential/commercial developments and civic attractions.