Albany Woolstores owner calls for council support to remove waterfront eyesore but mayor insists help offered

The South Australian owner of the Albany Woolstores says he knows the sprawling grey sheds are an eyesore and he wants to redevelop the prime waterfront site — but he has not had any support from the City of Albany. Two decades after he bought the woolstores on the edge of Princess Royal Harbour, developer Mark Dyson has revealed he has launched a feasibility study for their removal to make way for a multi-purpose development. But the costly process of disposing of the asbestos cement sheeting panels within the 65-year-old structure is stifling progress and leaving Mr Dyson and the City of Albany at loggerheads. A “born-and-bred wool man”, Mr Dyson has bought and repurposed several woolstores sites across the country, transforming them into boutique hospitality venues, retail spaces and warehouse apartments. Speaking to the Advertiser from Adelaide this week, Mr Dyson said he had been working on a feasibility study since late last year to investigate the removal of the deteriorating structure on his 15ha property. “I am fully aware that it is an eyesore,” he said. “We were doing a feasibility study to start demolition on the sheds but obviously COVID-19 has certainly hindered that. “It is still on our radar, I am still doing that now, and I am in talks with a couple of demolition companies as well as our own people.” Mr Dyson said he envisioned the final development to have multiple uses but remained open-minded. “I think the whole site will encompass a multitude of ideas at the end of the development,” he said. “There is going to be a blend of restaurants, retail, maybe permanent dwellings of some sort, whether it be upmarket retirement living.” However, Mr Dyson said his ability to start the expensive process of disposing of the asbestos cladding from the structure hinged on support from the City of Albany — which he said he had “never received”. Once in motion, he said he expected the process of demolition would take about two years. Mr Dyson said he would welcome any future discussions with the City. “I would like to think that with the volume of asbestos that is contained in those buildings that the council could provide some sort of assistance in the dumping of the asbestos in either their council-owned disposal sites or private sites,” he said. “Due to the game changer of last year with the coronavirus, there has been no better time for these regional areas to reset. “Why wouldn’t council be trying to assist developers in getting more investment into the town?” City of Albany Mayor Dennis Wellington disputed Mr Dyson’s claims and said the City had offered a discount to take down the woolstores. “In the community interest and to promote the site being cleaned up, the City has previously discussed with the landowner the potential for council to consider a bulk discount on asbestos disposal charges at the nearby Hanrahan Waste Facility,” Mr Wellington said. “To date, this offer has not been progressed by the landowner and therefore not been considered by council for endorsement.” The state of the Albany Woolstores came under fire at the City of Albany’s annual electors’ meeting earlier this month, when a ratepayer questioned the steps being taken to remove the asbestos-riddled structure. In a bid to push the site’s redevelopment forward, the City in 2018 launched its City of Albany Woolstores investigation as part of a new local planning strategy. The proposal aimed to create “an innovative and comprehensively planned urban development” with “a range of housing options not currently available in Albany”. But Mr Wellington said there had been no progress on the City’s vision and he shared the frustrations over the lack of movement at the site. “Nobody likes to see a building just go into rack and ruin just by being left there and not being used. In my mind it is a valuable piece of real estate,” he said. “It’s a long time and we’d just like to see things developed rather than just left idle. “I just think that there are not that many places where you can get that close to the water anymore. “I think the possibilities are endless.” Mr Wellington said it was ultimately up to the landowner to determine the future of the site.