ILT ditches plan to have container bar in CBD

Friday, 3 May 2019

The Invercargill Licensing Trust has ditched its plans for a container bar in the city's Wachner Place. 

Trust chief executive Chris Ramsay said it was disappointing the 'innovative' concept would not become a reality for the city. 

'We have been trying to work through an easement issue that directly impacted where the container bar would be located.

**READ MORE:

* Invercargill Licensing Trust board members thrilled with Wachner Place bar concept

* Invercargill Licensing Trust is two bars down but boss says no financial hit instore

* Former councillor Norman Elder says Wachner Place bar would send 'mixed signals'

* ILT container bar proposal meets opposition**

'Unfortunately we haven't been able to resolve this issue with the landowner,' he said.

The land owner was not the Invercargill City Council, whose executive had been superb to deal with during the process, he said.

'It's a real shame, we were excited to embark on another new food and beverage concept for the city - one which would have activated Wachner Place and added to the vibrancy of our city.

'It's disappointing when people can't work together to achieve that vision.'

The trust had pushed for the bar's opening in Wachner Place after it had been forced to vacate the nearby Kiln bar which was located at its new hotel construction site.

Ramsay ruled out trying to find location for the container bar, but said the trust was now looking at starting another initiative in the food and beverage field to cover the period while the hotel was being built.

He declined to go into details.

The container bar proposal had met some opposition, including from Mark Williams, owner of the Quest Hotel which is adjacent to Wachner Place, and former city councillor Norman Elder who was acting on behalf of clients.

On Friday, Elder said he imagined the easement issue was just one of several problems the trust had been faced with when trying to get approval for the container bar.

Elder supported the container bar concept, but not at Wachner Place.

Ramsay said the easement was the only insurmountable issue.

'This was going to be a transfer of license [from Kiln to  container bar] so the process was going to be relatively smooth.'

In December, city councillors voted to indicate their support for the concept generally.

Councillor Toni Biddle, who supported a container bar in Wachner Place, said another opportunity had been missed to progress forward.

The city would never move forward unless people were willing to put personal opinions aside and work together for the greater good, she said.