THE WA Portuguese Club committee is still trying to progress with the sale of its Beaconsfield headquarters, despite some naysayers trying to pour cold water on the move.
An advertisement listing concerns about the possible sale, including that it might be less than fair value and there was non-disclosure of the contract of the sale with members and the community, was published in a recent edition of the Gazette.
The full-page advertisement was paid for by a group of people including Mario Antonio, who was a foundation member but is not a current member of the Portuguese club.
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READ NOWIn a statement from the committee, they said they had an optional agreement for $5.5 million subject to financing only, which was above previous valuation and appraisals.
The sale of the building and the club’s move to Goodchild Reserve in Hamilton Hill has been a long-running saga after a group of members pushed to begin the process about nine years ago.
The advertisement claimed the Hamilton Hill location would be inferior but the committee countered by saying it would be a far more attractive location.
Last June the City of Fremantle received two complaints from members of the public about the state of the club.
A City spokesman said after a site inspection club representatives agreed they would not use the main hall and kitchen but were able to continue using the bar area.
“At the time of inspection the main kitchen and main hall were found to be in a state of disrepair,” he said.
“The City advised the club on June 26, 2019, that the main hall and kitchen should not be used until general maintenance and cleaning, repair of the leaking roof and maintenance of electrical systems was undertaken to satisfaction of the City.”
In its statement, the committee acknowledged it had minimised expenditure on maintenance because it expected the building to be demolished sooner.