Fury after Gatwick Hotel’s ex-owners buy apartment after Block makeover

THE former owners of the notorious Gatwick flophouse have been defended after snapping up one of its glitzy new apartments on The Block. Furious St Kilda residents who had lived near the “drug infested hell hole” were outraged by the “brazen” purchase.

After their $10 million payday in 2017, Rose Banks and Yvette Kelly returned to claim apartment 2 and celebrate last night.

ST KILDA residents are furious after the Gatwick Hotel’s previous owners snapped up one of the luxury apartments in the former dosshouse, on last night’s finale of Channel 9’s The Block.

Sisters Yvette Kelly and Rose Banks splashed $2.77 million on the flashy abode — the building’s largest — in what has been slammed at an “ultimate f*** you” to the St Kilda community, who weathered years living near the notorious drug-riddled flophouse.

The twins’ lavish purchase on last night’s finale of The Block comes after they bowed to intense pressure from the media, politicians and emergency services to sell off the notorious “drug infested hell hole” for a reported $10 million in 2017.

FORMER HOUSE OF HORRORS READY TO MAKE TV HISTORY

TOXIC RESIDUE FOUND IN GATWICK ROOMS

GATWICK HOTEL MAKEOVER REVEALED

Contestants Courtney and Hans worked on the apartment. Supplied: Channel Nine

The new Gatwick is a far cry from the hotel run by the sisters before The Block. Source: Wilson Real Estate

Friends of St Kilda Hill co-convener David Van said he was “gobsmacked by their brazenness”.

“After the terror they oversaw over many, many years, I’m surprised they would be brazen enough to show their face in St Kilda again,” he said.

In a tweet to her more than 43,000 followers last night, radio star and St Kilda resident Kate Langbroek wrote: “Would NOT want to share an apartment block with the women who previously owned (the Gatwick)”.

The Gatwick Hotel was a troubled halfway house for decades.

It was transformed to a luxury apartment block by The Block contestants.

The sisters also reportedly snapped up several neighbouring apartments on Fitzroy St prior to selling the infamous boarding house, setting themselves up for a massive windfall once the boarding house shut.

HOTEL A HOTBED OF VILLAINY

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And in March last year, the Leader revealed five ambulances a week were called to the disreputable rooming house on average over a 12-month period.

The Freedom of Information documents showed 263 ambulances visited the Gatwick between January 2015 and January 2016.

The sisters’ parting shot in July 2017, after closing the Gatwick and selling the building to Channel 9.

The sisters have long proclaimed the issues stemming from the Gatwick — the site of countless rapes, murders, drug deals and violent assaults — were exaggerated by the media.

But some Herald Sun readers defended the sisters, commending them for their work with the homeless over many years.

“The Gatwick provided housing to many homeless people, yes it had trouble but at least they had somewhere to live,” Val Sharp wrote.

Another reader, Kate Sommers, urged the sisters to open up their newly purchased apartment to the homeless.

“I hope they again open up their floor for needy in the area, I’m sure they can convert the huge living area into a dorm like bedroom. Well done ladies, bring some life back into the area.”

Auctioneer Jesse Raeburn, from Wilson Port Phillip, said buying an apartment in the original part of the building was a must for the twins, ruling out a penthouse purchase.

“They wanted the old Gatwick, they wanted to have their roots,” he said.

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