Jeremy Michael serves a beer at the Wig and Pen at Canberra House. Photo: Rohan Thomson
Canberra House retailers face uncertainty over the future of their businesses following the progressing of plans to redevelop the site.
While all of the ground floor tenants have been offered the chance to move back into new premises once the new 16-storey building is standing in place of the arcade, not all will return.
The Morris Property Group has lodged the development application for the demolition of the Canberra House annexe, located on the corner of West Row and Alinga Streets.
The Wig and Pen's Amelia Davies outside the pub in Canberra House. Photo: Rohan Thomson
Under the plans the office block and basement will be retained and a new apartment and retail complex will be built next to it.
The approval process is expected to take about six months.
Tenants of the 1970s building have been aware of the possibility of redevelopment for years and had been moved onto month-to-month leases under the previous building owner.
But some have not yet found new premises to move into or decided whether they will return.
The future remains uncertain for Canberra’s award-winning brewpub the Wig and Pen.
Manager Kellie Hargense said they had been looking for a site to move to so they could remain open but had not yet found a suitable location.
They hope to remain in the city and “definitely don’t want to close”.
Former master brewer Richard Watkins, who left the Wig and Pen about three weeks ago, said the brewery had known for at least five years a redevelopment was likely because they had a demolition clause in the lease.
Mr Watkins left the popular pub to start his own business, the BentSpoke Brewing Company, with his partner Tracy Margrain in Morris Property Group’s new Habitat development in Braddon.
“One of the reasons why I decided to leave was that I knew the development was imminent,” he said.
“I wanted to sure up the future for myself and my family.”
But he said that area of Civic certainly needed a revamp.
Canberra House’s last remaining original tenant Vision City will not come back to the new building when it’s completed.
Owner Colin Skelton, who moved his business into the arcade in 1975, said he was utterly devastated by the news but could not criticise the developer for wanting progress.
He said the Morris Property Group had offered him first pick of the new premises but he could not see himself coming back.
“They’re within their rights, they’re in business to do business, you can’t knock anyone down for that,” Mr Skelton said.
“I don’t have any bad feelings about the developers, that’s progress, but I am a bit sad.”
Mr Skelton said he had not yet found a suitable location for his business and would make a final decision if and when the development application was approved.
The Canberra Club, which will also not be part of the new development, has been contacted for comment.
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