LAST DRINKS: Historic city pub partially demolished

PLANS to demolish newer parts of the pub and renovate the most historic sections were approved by the Toowoomba Regional Council earlier this year.

Partial demolition of Mort Estate Hotel in Toowoomba before redevelopment as office space. Thursday, 12 Jul, 2018. Picture: Nev Madsen

DIGGERS and workers have already started pulling down part of what used to be the famous Bellevue Hotel.

The pub, most recently known as the Mort Estate Hotel before it was closed in late 2016, is now a construction site as crews start partial demolitions ahead of a complete renovation.

Feedlot managers Mort and Co bought the property on the intersection of Mort and Bridge St in April for $1.8 million to turn it into a new office space.

Plans to demolish newer parts of the pub and renovate the most historic sections were approved by the Toowoomba Regional Council earlier this year.

The designs from FKG Group reuse the original part of the hotel, first built in 1904, while tearing down the rest to make way for more car parks and office space.

Mort and Co managing director Charlie Mort, whose family had connections to the property in the past, told The Chronicle the company had been searching for a new home for the past two years.

Historic:The Bellevue Hotel, Mort Street The Chronicle Archive. Picture: The Chronicle Archive

"Car parking and areas of office space were what I was looking for," he said.

"We're taking it back to its most original design - we hope to be in before Christmas.

"It's a major renovation, there will be a couple of million dollars (spent)."

The Bellevue Hotel in the mid 1940s. Contributed: Local History and Robinson Collection, Toowoomba City Library.

The hotel was added to the council's heritage register in 2013, as it was deemed to be historically significant.

Mort and Co was approached for comment, but didn't respond in time for publication.

The Bellevue Hotel in 2014. Picture: Contributed

Originally published as LAST DRINKS: Historic city pub partially demolished