'Something seriously wrong': Hurdles threaten $5m revival of historic pub

Dan Casey bought The Globe Hotel in Corowa last year with plans to rebuild the pub to its former glory but he says a series of "hurdles" from within Federation Council threaten to derail the $5 million dream.

"Before we've even gone into the bones of a thorough application, hurdles have been put in place and I've actually considered abandoning the project and developing it into accommodation units instead," Mr Casey said.

"It's not just me. Twenty or 30 other developers I've spoken to are two years into planning and nothing is happening.

"There is something seriously wrong in this shire at the moment."

Mr Casey said his issues didn't lie with Federation councillors but he was disappointed in the shire's planning department.

"We've been faced with nothing but negativity," he said.

"One of the remarks we received to the word was, 'council can't be seen to be getting excited about this'.

"This is the project that's going to save the town, because the town is dying at the moment."

Mr Casey said he has been forced to consult expensive professionals for things, they say, he doesn't need.

"They want me to spend $30,000 on a heritage impact statement," he said.

"I've spoken to a professor about this and he's clearly stated that, 'Dan, you don't need this, not for this project. It's only listed with the local council, so they're the governing body'.

"Every time we go back to a consultant or a professional, they're telling us, we don't need this."

Federation Council mayor Pat Bourke met with Mr Casey on Tuesday, February 20, "to assure him that council as a whole are really behind him and want to support him".

But, Mr Bourke said the problems tying up the development are "operational" and that council can't do much about it.

He said council will hold a meeting next week with the planning department to straighten things out.

"I'm interested in the bigger picture to get the hurdles out of the road, to let Dan succeed and go ahead," he said.

"It would be really disappointing if this project doesn't go ahead."

Mr Casey, a builder and developer from Kinglake, bought a holiday home in Corowa four years ago and never left.

The decaying Globe Hotel, located on the corner of Sanger and Parliament Street, sparked his imagination and became his next project.

"I thought, the building needs to be saved," Mr Casey said.

"It has been sitting there for so long, and I feel the town is dying a little and we need to do something."

The hotel's balcony (removed in the 1960s) was the venue for the evening banquet on Monday, July 31 1893, for 180 delegates and politicians attending the Corowa Federation Conference, which debated the proposed federation of Australian colonies.

In 2014, the pub closed its doors and it has remained unused ever since.

"It's a $5 million project," Mr Casey said.

"And we are pushing hard for some state or federal funding to put the verandah back on, where the dinner took place."

Mr Casey envisions a vibrant venue that would attract tourists from far and wide.

Patrons would be welcomed by a main bar before heading out to a sprawling beer garden, which will host live music every Saturday and Sunday.

In the outdoor area, "a vessel from an old steam ship" will be fashioned into "the biggest meat smoker around".

Inside, a boutique restaurant will be attached to a wine and cocktail bar, with function rooms upstairs leading onto the verandah.

"We're all about preserving the building," Mr Casey said.

"We found fireplaces, brick archways and exposed brick walls that we're going to highlight.

"We are going to preserve the heritage of the building, but give it a modern industrial twist as well."

Mr Casey said he hoped to also open an ice cream shop and cafe on the premises by Easter 2024. But, with the barriers put in place, the timeline has been pushed out to "at least" Christmas.

"We needed to open the ice cream shop and cafe to generate an income stream to make this viable," he said.

"If we can't do that, I can't sit on a project for three years and have no return on my investment.

"It's just not viable."