Business owner Ravi Sharma (left) and Chief Minister Andrew Barr outside a section of the freshly painted Melbourne Building. Photos: Ian Bushnell.
The next phase of the revitalisation of the historic Sydney and Melbourne buildings in Canberra’s city centre is underway with restoration work on the facades.
Over the next 18 months, the facades will be restored to their original colour under a painting program.
It has already started on a section of the Melbourne Building at the corner of Alinga Street and Northbourne Avenue, which includes the business frontages of Amici Wine Bar and Deli, Bistro Nguyen’s, and Smith’s Alternative.
The iconic two-storey buildings were the first commercial structures in Canberra and over the past five years, the ACT Government, through the City Renewal Authority, has been working with the owners to lift them back to a standard suited to their central position in the city.
The talks have also focused on legislation to govern the management of the buildings.
However, it has been a complex process due to about 100 separate land titles, the multiple owners, and no common management body.
Chief Minister Andrew Barr said that having passed legislation, established building conservation management plans and settled on the heritage colour scheme that reflected the initial painting of the buildings, facade work was now under way.
This had been possible through a matched funding arrangement between the government and property owners.
“It’s a very worthy heritage project for Canberra,” Mr Barr said.
“These two buildings were the first commercial buildings in our city centre and they stand as markers to not only Canberra’s progress, but everything that is happening around them.
“We feel it’s important to work closely with each of more than 100 different owners on this restoration project, so the government is contributing well over $4 million into a matched fund.
“What we’re seeing is property owners making a co-contribution towards the repainting and restoration of facades.”
Chief Minister Andrew Barr says as work progresses, pressure will build for more businesses to come on board.
Mr Barr said the government had the power to force owners to do the work but preferred to collaborate with them.
He said that as work progressed, the differences between the old and new would become stark and there would be increased pressure on hold-out property owners to participate.
Development adjacent to the buildings, such as the new Lyric Theatre, office precincts to be built on the surface carparks and light rail, would also build momentum for upgrades.
Business owner Ravi Sharma, whose family has had a long-running presence in the buildings, said they had already benefited from the widening of the Northbourne verges, the streetscaping of the laneways and improved lighting.
“It all adds up to a much-improved offering for visitors and patrons to these beautiful historic buildings and then in turn helps businesses to improve the quality of their offering,” Mr Sharma said.
“So I’m really looking forward to the completion of the painting works. It will again help the Sydney and Melbourne buildings to become a vibrant heart of the city.”
Mr Sharma said the work would hopefully encourage more businesses to open in the buildings.
“When the business cycle turns, which it looks like doing in the next couple of years, the painting works and the renovation works will really come to the fore,” he said.
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