ESSIE BURKE | Property & Government Corruption | CONTACT
An artist’s impression of a new library, holistic wellness centre and high-roller casino planned for the site of South Betoota’s historic Masonic centre is unlikely to live up to its promise, it has been revealed.
A Melbourne architectural firm released the conceptual drawings on Tuesday, which feature the usual expanse of futuristic-looking panels of glass that experts warn “look pretty shit” unless cleaned regularly.
The Masonic centre fell into disuse in the 1980s and developers have long eyed the prize council-owned land for a mixed residential and commercial strip catering to cashed-up single professionals who believe their lives are busy.
But South Betoota Council struck a deal with a Hong Kong-based casino operator in 2012 to redevelop the site as a public-private partnership.
The conceptual drawings were leaked last month to a financial newspaper in the big smoke to drum up interest in the venture.
“The likelihood of the project getting off the ground is slim to nil,” said one analyst who asked not to be named.
“The anti-progress brigade has already complained to CCC. We’ll be lucky if it’s two storeys and isn’t made of brick.”
Keith Pontoon, who owns a weekender in Betoota Heights, said he bought in the neighbourhood after a real estate agent showed him artist’s impressions of a proposed technical college and indoor swimming complex with a wave machine.
“Either they’ve been pretty generous to this dump, or they are going to drop napalm on the current lot”
Dr Pontoon said the revised sketches “don’t have a wave machine” and he was “fucking livid” with the NIMBYs (Not In My Backyard) who had complained about the environmental impact of the proposal.
“This houso nest looks like downtown Raqqa compared to what they’ve sold me”
“They forgot to include the methadone clinic, and the fact that this suburb has two of the most violent pubs in the state”
