Hotel plans to revitalise old wharf

An inner-city high-rise developer has offered to buy Devonport's troubled wharf, upgrade it and build an iconic hotel.

Peter Chevin has made an unconditional offer to buy the lease on the wharf, which has languished for three years in the ownership of financiers Bridgecorp.

Mr Chevin developed the 18-level Columbard, with its tiny 21sq m "sleeping studios", on Wyndham St in the city, bringing a new concept of a "corporate crash-pad" to the CBD.

Now, he is awaiting a decision from wharf lessor North Shore City Council on the new deal and hopes to begin work soon.

Through his company Columbard, Mr Chevin wants to talk to the Devonport community and ferry operator Fullers about major changes, including the hotel proposal to capitalise on the wharf's stunning views.

The wharf has been in the hands of Monice Properties - a subsidiary of property financier Bridgecorp - for some years, after a previous owner defaulted on a loan.

In August 2003, Bridgecorp had a much-publicised deal to sell the lease to ferry company Subritzky for an undisclosed sum.

But Subritzky director Michael Moore said this week that although subsidiary Subritzky Wharves had the right to buy the wharf two years ago, it never exercised it.

Local body officials want the dilapidated wharf cleaned up fast. Devonport Community Board deputy chairman John Duder called for it to be tidied, its eastern side opened out to the sea with the installation of more windows, and for the wharf to have stronger links to the main street.

Board chairman Mike Cohen called the wharf "a rusty tin shed" and said the poorly designed structure was a sorry gateway to a vibrant community.

North Shore City Council's wharf project manager Chris Gardiner confirmed an approach had been made to transfer the lease from Monice Properties to a new owner.

This had to be ratified by a full council meeting in the next few weeks, subject to lease conditions being met, he said.

The council is the head lessor and owns the licence to the seabed so its approval is needed for a new owner to take over.

The wharf caters for about 1.5 million passengers a year.

The rundown Devonport Wharf has been criticised for:

Being an eyesore as a gateway to the village.
Unclean, unkempt public areas.
Public toilets shut for months.
Unsafe upper-level restaurants forced to shut.