Prospect Council gives builder chance to complete Devonport Tce, Prospect, apartments approved five years ago

A builder has been given a third and final chance to finish an apartment building or face potentially disastrous consequences.

The Devonport Tce, Prospect building pictured in August. The council has given the owner and developer another six months to finish the building or face legal action. Picture Dean Martin

A developer threatened with the demolition of an unfinished apartment block has been given another lifeline to complete the project which was approved more than five years ago.

But Prospect Council has warned the builder of the Devonport Tce, Prospect unit block if the four-storey property is not “substantially finished” by March Prospect Council will take legal action seeking the property’s bulldozing.

The Advertiser revealed in August that the council was seeking a court order to have the building demolished, alleging builder Francesco Varsalona had taken too long to finish work.

The council on August 5 had rejected a second request from Mr Varsalona for more time to complete the work.

A council spokeswoman said while it was preparing evidence for an Environment, Resources and Development Court action, it received a further request for Mr Varsalona to extend the development approval.

“The further extension request was accompanied by additional supporting information, and was ultimately granted by council such that the development must now be completed by no later than 8 March 2022,” she said.

The extension was granted on September 8. She said the council had advised Mr Varsalona that it would reapply to the ERD court seeking a demolition order if the building was not completed.

The view of the Devonport Tce apartment block seen from the front yard of a neighbours house in August. Picture Dean Martin

The Advertiser has sought comment from Mr Varsalona.

He previously told The Advertiser that he wanted more leniency to complete the project in light of the impact of Covid-19 and pressures on the building industry.

“Nobody set out to do a half-built building and I didn’t buy the block to annoy people,” he said in August.

“We’re just hardworking family business people going through a hard time with Covid and other things going on in the (building) industry.”

At the time, his father Rino Varsalona said the building would be completed by January.

The council said development approval was granted in September 2016 with extensions to the approval given in 2019 and 2020.

The project was approved under the former Development Act that required developments to be substantially completed within three years of approval.

A neighbour said, in her opinion, the building looked “very similar” to as it did in August.

“There has been work but it’s all done in dribs and drabs,” she said. “Your first impression is it’s an absolute eyesore.”