As one Dubbo development takes off at a rapid rate, another has stalled in the early stages.
The completion date of a planned complex at the old Gough and Gilmour site on Cobra Street has been put back as the company responsible for the project seeks tenants.
Signage on the property states the complex will be finished by late 2008, however, development manager with SSI Group George Petersen said the planned timeframe would need to be stretched.
“We are currently in negotiations with prospective tenants,” Mr Petersen said.
“Until we get confirmation from some more tenants we won’t start but we are hopeful of being able to secure some shortly.
“Dubbo is a progressive provincial centre with well-established business and the complex we have fits into the right precinct for us.”
Meanwhile, further west on Cobra Street work on the new Oporto building has started.
Local building firm Brett Harvey Designs started work on the site last week and is in the process of turning it from KFC into an Oporto fast-food outlet.
Paul Kempston, who owns the land, said he expected things to happen pretty quickly.
“I’d say we will be flipping burgers in about three months,” Mr Kempston said. “We have had an approach from someone to run the franchise. We looked around all of the fast-food franchises and decided to bring something fresh and different to Dubbo.”
Mr Kempston bought the site about 10 months ago and investigated several ideas for the land, including a drive-through bakery. Until last week things had been moving along slowly but with building now underway it is expected Dubbo residents will have their own piece of Portugal to eat by November.
“We’ve been pretty lucky, council was very helpful and to get Brett Harvey to do the building was great,” Mr Kempston said.
“I asked him about six months ago and he said he was very busy but he drove past a few weeks ago and said he could get started so it’s all systems go now.”
ben.walker@ruralpress.com
Fast-food rumour denied
Despite persistent rumours, there are no plans before Dubbo City Council for a fast-food outlet at the Bunnings complex on Sheraton Road.
Ever since building started on the massive hardware store there has been talk of various fast-food outlets willing to operate from the site, but at the moment a development application for such a facility has not been put forward.
Dubbo City Council’s manager of environment and land use services Steve Wallace said the area was correctly zoned for a fast-food retailer but as yet had not received an application.
“As far as I know a fast-food store was informally proposed when the land was purchased,” Mr Wallace said.
“I’ve heard the same rumours about ‘this going there’ and ‘that going there’ but no applications have been put to council at this stage.”
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