The redevelopment of the historic Osborne House in North Geelong has moved into the final design stage.
Following a two-stage process with two interested parties, the City of Greater Geelong is progressing to the final stage of the process with Gurner and Montgomery Property.
The final design stage, which will include developing agreed commercial terms, designs and uses, is expected to take about four months to complete.
Osborne House was built in 1858 for local squatter Robert Muirhead, who named the mansion after Osborne House, Queen Victoria’s summer residence on the Isle of Wight, England.
Councillor Eddy Kontelj, chair of the Osborne House portfolio, thanked all the parties involved in the project to date.
“We are excited to have progressed to this point, and are closing in on developing a solution that enhances Osborne House’s heritage assets while realising its potential for greater community use,” Cr Kontelj said.
“This is about ensuring that the history, significance and public access to the site are protected for decades to come.”
In committing to retaining public ownership of Osborne House, council has allocated a total of $8 million over the next four years towards the restoration and redevelopment project.
An Expressions of Interest process was launched last year to find potential partners willing to invest in a shared vision for the future of the site as a community and cultural heritage precinct.
Councillor Anthony Aitken, deputy chair of the Osborne House portfolio, said the community’s long-held ambition to see the site brought back to life was now close to reality.
“This is such a loved and historically significant part of Geelong – it deserves to be restored in a way that does it justice and returns it as a focal point for our community,” Cr Aitken said.
“In moving to the final design stage we are excited by the possibilities and looking forward to finalising a vision and use of the precinct.”
The City has already carried out more than $500,000 worth of improvement works to Osborne House.
This includes the underpinning and stabilisation of the stable walls, façade repairs and painting, and repair or replacement of windows and French doors in the main bluestone building.
