Hundreds rally to call for protection of Mentone Hotel building

HUNDREDS of people gathered last night at the Mentone Hotel, famously known as The Edgy, to call for protection for the historic building.

People in Mentone and Melbourne are devestated with the news the iconic Mentone Hotel will close this Thursday to make way for apartments. Picture: Jason Sammon Monday 10 November 2014

HUNDREDS of people gathered last night at the Mentone Hotel, famously known as The Edgy, to call for protection for the historic building.

Some wanted to retain it as a public venue and others wanted to keep the building from being bulldozed for development.

The hotel announced via Facebook that it would be closing by the end of this week, sparking fears new owners would convert the 1880s Beach Rd building into an apartment block.

Mordialloc resident Colin Vickers at a rally to save The Edgy from undergoing development. Picture: Sharon Green.

Mordialloc resident Colin Vickers wore yellow ribbons and stood outside the entrance of the hotel holding a sign that read “save our history”.

He said the building should be saved for future generations.

“We want the council to do more to protect iconic buildings like The Edgy,” he said.

“We don’t need any more inappropriate developments happening in the area. We certainly need some more apartments but not right here.”

Tom Condon, who has been a Mentone resident since 1952, said he would feel sad to see the building go.

“I don’t know whether it’ll stay as a hotel but the building should stay,” he said.

“This hotel has a lot of history, it’s an icon.”

RELATED: Government steps in to try and save historic Mentone Hotel

Mentone resident and regular hotel patron Sebastian Torcasio said it would be “a real shame” if the building was destroyed.

“It’s one of the oldest buildings in Mentone. It’s obviously very popular among everyone that lives here.”

Crowds gathered at the Mentone Hotel for its last Wednesday night open to the public. Picture: Sharon Green.

Bentleigh resident Samantha Yerolemis, 19, said The Edgy was an enjoyable social outlet for her and her friends.

“I’ve been to The Edgy so many times. Everyone knows each other, it’s like a family,” she said.

Mentone Hotel regulars Jack Jansson, Luke Hull, Tristan Strange, Mitch Brown, and Julian Strange enjoy a final beer. Picture: Jason Sammon.

Independent candidate for Sandringham Clarke Martin made a speech to the gathered crowd and said the Mentone Hotel shouldn’t go the way of other local hotels that had closed and developed into apartments, including the Hampton hotel and Beaumaris hotel.

“What we really need down here is a legal instrument, a protection order. It’s been done before and it needs to be done here today,” Mr Martin said.

Mr Martin has launched a petition on change.org to save The Edgy from development and it has already attracted more than 5000 signatures.

Planning Minister Matthew Guy said he and Sandringham state Liberal MP Murray Thompson would write to Heritage Victoria to seek heritage listing for the building.

“We can’t sit idle and watch this grand old building be turned into apartments,” Mr Guy said.

“It would be a huge loss to the whole bayside area.”

Mr Guy said the process to have the building heritage listed could take a couple of months.

Clarke Martin speaks to a crowd gathered at the rally to save the Mentone Hotel. Picture: Sharon Green.

Kingston Council said on Facebook that it had not been notified of the hotel sale and had not received any requests to consider a proposal to develop or change its current use.

Council also said the hotel site is zoned General Residential (Schedule 3) and has a Heritage Overlay.

“The Mentone Hotel is also listed on the National Trust Register of significant heritage places. This classification means that the building has been recognised by the National Trust as a place of cultural heritage significance but this classification itself carries no statutory weight,” it wrote.