The former Bexley Bowling Club site is one step closer to being transformed into a local community hub, Bayside Council has confirmed.
This comes after the majority of Bayside Councillors voted to accept the recommendations of its City Works & Assets Committee at a meeting on April 29.
Plans to redevelop the Council-owned site at 72 Laycock Street, Bexley North, began in 2016 when Council accepted a tender from AHEPA NSW Inc to transform the old Bexley Bowling and Recreation Club.
Bayside Mayor, Dr Christina Curry, said “Council is keen to see this grand old building returned to community use” as it “has been vacant for some time now.”
“We have worked hard to ensure the proposal is appropriate for the area,” Dr Curry added.
The Mayor told the Council meeting it had not been easy due to internal issues within AHEPA NSW, but the organisation has now complied with all the terms of Council’s agreement and renovations can begin.
At a meeting on Wednesday, April 13, Bayside’s City Works & Assets Committee recommended that, as the Order of AHEPA NSW Inc. has remedied the Default Notice and provided the Works Licence Security bank guarantee, the redevelopment project can proceed in accordance with the requirements of the Agreement for Licence and Lease (AFL) for the site.
AHEPA NSW has also submitted a Development Application which is currently being independently assessed.
In a statement, AHEPA NSW said they “sincerely thank the Mayors and Councillors of Bayside Council for their ongoing support with the project.”
“Without this support and patience, the project would not have achieved this milestone,” the statement reads.
“AHEPA NSW INC looks forward to the continued collaboration with Bayside Council to completing the restoration and re-opening of the Bexley Bowling and Community Club as a facility all Australian Hellenes and the wider community may be proud to visit.”
Source: Bayside Council.
