Abandoned buildings the ultimate fixer uppers
Names like the Savoy Hotel, Capricorn Resort, Flamingo's, Zilzie Resort and more
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THE old Bunnings site on Yaamba Rd sold last month for $10 million, despite only being on the market for a few months.
But there are many other abandoned buildings and projects in the region that are in dire need of some attention.
Here are our top ones:
Savoy Hotel
Corner of William and Alma Sts.
In 1898, the hotel was named the Queen's Hotel, with licensee Louis Pfitzenmaier.
In 1900, the license was granted to a Mr P. E O'Reilly, who did some "extensive renovations" including adding a billiard room.
Over the years it was the Oriental, Astoria, Carlton and Savoy Hotel.
In 1933, a barmaid was reported to be murdered there.
It was well known for its topless barmaids.
The hotel was closed down in May 2003 after the Liquor Licensing Board, Queensland Police and Queensland Fire and Emergency Services inspected the building and ordered it be immediately closed due to "critical" fire safety failures.
The building sold in 2005 and again in 2013, but no significant development occurred.
The building sold for $400,000 at auction in November 2016 to Rockhampton businessman Wayne Daniels.
He had plans of refurbishments and opening it up for shops.
The building has existing shops on the ground level. The top floor has open verandas on two sides and has 17 individual rooms, a lounge room, a former commercial kitchen, a two- bedroom manager's residence and bathroom areas.
FLAMINGO'S ON QUAY
234 Quay St
Over the years it has been called Flamingos, Stadium and The Republik Club.
Aussie rock band from the 80s The Divinyls performed there along with Stevie Wright and The Radiators.
The building sold in 2011 for $1.5 million and had been trading for 27 years prior to this. It was approved for a 5am licence and 1045 patrons.
It was transformed in 2012 to be Flamingo's on Quay, with the bar, bistro, dance floor, main bar, cocktail lounge and sports bar.
It closed down in December 2017.
JOYCE MAYNE
Yaamba Rd
The electrical, computers, bedding and furniture store ceased trading on October 31, 2014.
The general manager of the store told The Morning Bulletin at the time, it wasn't "economically viable to continue running".
The blue and yellow building has been vacant since then.
The real estate listing says the warehouse has 300sqm of air-conditioned showroom, 1000sqm of high clearance warehousing and 70 car spaces.
In June 2017, the site was valued at $2 million.
It is listed for $120 per sqm plus GST and outgoings.
ONE ELEVEN
Many businesses have come and gone from the corner complex at 111 George St.
Nowadays, there is only UBet, ASN and Discount Drug Store.
The main end facing Fitzroy St was tenanted by Coffee Club for many years before it closed in April 2017 because their 10-year lease was up and they had opened stores in The Empire and Stockland.
In 2015, this site sold for $1.15 million, lasting only seven days on the market.
It was previously leased for $113,910 per annum
Over the years there has been Video Ezy, Night Owl, Pizza Hut, Liquorland, Addiktion Hair, Cold Rock, Indian Brothers and Wok Me.
In November 2017, the building number 6, which was mostly recently tenanted by Indian Brothers, sold for $286,000. It was being rented for $3 750 per month plus GST and outgoings. In 2014, the same site sold for $550,000.
OLD POST OFFICE
Most recently it was tenanted by The Ranch Bar and Grill before they closed in August.
It was opened in September 2015 and changed leasees in November 2016 after it was closed for a short period of time.
Prior to that, it was Outback Jacks Bar and Grill before that closed in May 2015 after it opened in 2012. It was well known for the fibreglass crocodile hanging from the ceiling.
A recent listing for the restaurant space prices it at $103,000 per annum plus approximately $26,000 of outgoings and GST.
In late 2017, the site sold for $4.115 million. The sale included all of the sites, Jolt Bakery Cafe, the Fitzroy Basin Association and the restaurant.
Australian Postal Corporation sold it for $225,000 in 1998.
ZILZIE RESORT
The Keppel Cove resort has been closed since around 2014.
The Great Barrier Reef Gold Resort's 18-hole golf course, $12 million clubhouse and conference and wedding facility was opened in 2006.
The developer of the 215ha of land, Chris Dadson, told The Morning Bulletin he saw a "mini city".
A Chinese businessman, Ding Zuo Hong bought the resort in April this year. It was reported he has plans to upgrade the golf club with hotel component, expand the resort precinct and develop the residential area.
According to RP Data, the Monaco Drive site sold for $6.9million. Another related site on on Svendsen Road sold for $1.1 million.
CAPRICORN RESORT
It's been known as Rydges, Mercure, Capricorn Resort and Iwaski Resort.
The resort at Farnborough was an icon in its heyday with hundreds of accommodation suites, numerous bars and eateries, a Japanese garden and restaurant, world-class golf course and the southern hemisphere's largest swimming pool.
It opened in the 1980s and attracted thousands of international, domestic and local visitors.
In 1971, Japanese business Yohachiro Iwasaki bought the 930 hectare of land 9km north of Yeppoon. There was a lot of opposition against the foreign ownership. Mr Iwasaki was faced with anti-Japanese protests and a bomb went off at the construction site, costing $1million in damages.
By the 90s the facilities had dated and and it was in need of maintenance and upkeep, with bad reviews adding to its woes.
In 2014, plans were lodged for a $600 million expansion to include a new 300-suite resort, air strip, caravan parks, retirement villages and residential dwellings.
In July 2016, the closure of the resort was announced and was a big blow to the local community.
The site is now subject to an expression of interest process, managed by the Government, seeking to entice investors to come up with a master plan. It was reported by Keppel MP Brittany Lauga in January 2017 that work was progressing well on the proposal.
The Tsuruya Japanese restaurant and Capricorn Golf (and the clubhouse) are still operational.
34 James St
The Yeppoon main street building has been vacant since mid-2017 when the Happy Sun Chinese restaurant moved to a new location in Hill St.
Over the years the site has been a KFC and Spanish and tapas restaurant.
Many moons ago, it was a shell museum.
Dorothy (nee Findlay) Brown had the business in the 60s and 70s and it was the biggest in the southern hemisphere at the time.
It is now listed for rent for $72,000 per annum.
THE PEARL RESORT
Plans were lodged for a five- star resort development on Haven Rd in Tanby Point, Emu Park in 2010.
Developers Moondaze unveiled the plans for a $100 million resort with 201 units with a total of 333 bedrooms, commercial space, 50-seat high-class restaurant, conference centre, lounge bar, indoor sports facility and health spa retreat.
Other plans said it would be a timber log, stone pole construction with thatched roof.
At the time of this report, the site already had one large Balinese-type hut from a previous approved wellness resort scheme.
This still remains there abandoned and no further work has been done.
The land had sold in 2007 for $5.95 million.
Originally published as Abandoned buildings the ultimate fixer uppers
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