Work starts on bringing hotel back to its formal glory

Signs have been taken down from the site fence and graffiti removed from the building facade.

A leaking water main has also been repaired.

The WA Heritage Council committee was expected to meet on Friday to review an application for further pre-enabling works, including a permanent roof structure to protect the building.

Levelling and a clean-up at the rear of the site may be completed as early as the weekend.

‘From here, we just want to take one small step at a time,’ owner Luke Martino said in a statement.

‘We are conscious of the community’s passion and investment in this iconic project, and we are working hard to have the great old dame rebuilt.’

Mr Martino said after the recent acquisition of new tenants, The Publican Group, and the hiring of architects Fratelle Group, momentum is building to get the first stage of the development |under way.

Fratelle Group director of architecture Kylee Schoonens said the history of the hotel would be marked inside the new hotel construction.

‘We have taken professional photography of the hotel, including features such as street art inside the building, and even the protests, and we hope to represent this artistically in some way in the completed project,’ she said.

‘We see this stage of dereliction, though not ideal, as another stage of its history and the protests as a powerful message from the community for their love of this building.’