A PROSPECTUS aimed at promoting opportunities at the Willow Court historic site will be put to this week’s Derwent Valley Council meeting for approval by councillors.
Already made public at the recent opening of the New Norfolk Distillery, the 24-page Willow Court Partnership Prospectus provides an overview of the developments in the council-owned section of Willow Court, including the areas leased to the Agrarian Kitchen Eatery and the New Norfolk Distillery, and the area proposed to be used by the Salamanca Arts Centre.
“The creation of the prospectus by council brings clarity to messaging and builds on prior decisions of the council around the proposals for the adaptive reuse of Willow Court,” regional development officer Jess Dallas says in a report to tomorrow night’s (Thursday) council meeting.
“The prospectus will provide a well-presented overview of developments in the Council owned sections of Willow Court,” Ms Dallas says. “The intent is that the document will be used when advocating for funding from both public and philanthropic sources and that it can also be used to attract future investment in the precinct and the broader region.”
The document provides basic information about each of the council’s present partners on the site, and seeks support for the ongoing redevelopment of the site, which operated as a hospital from 1827 until 2000. The council estimates an investment in excess of $9 million is needed from all tiers of government, philanthropic organisations and the community, to allow full utilisation of the precinct.
The agenda documents for the council meeting can be found here. The meeting remains closed to the public under the council’s COVID-19 protocols.
2 Comments
9 million dollars to aid private businesses when the public still don’t have access to the site? How is leasing buildings in the heritage precinct a “partnership”? It’s about time some clarity was given to some back room deals and let’s start with ALL Councillors recording ALL meetings they attend at each Council meeting?
What is needed is a long term vision and management plan for OUR heritage precinct! Without it why would any funding body want to fund private development of this sensitive heritage site?