Therefore I would like to take the opportunity of commenting on the three options:

Option 1: Restore the front of the original building.

This is a good proposal but has the danger of an "out and demolish" clause if the cost became too high.

What is the limit? Perhaps the $500,000 allowance that the council has agreed to?

Who decides when the costs are too high?

Option 2: Council to buy the front original section.

This is my preferred option for the following reasons.

The town could use the building for community purposes, eg the very successful "Art on Imlay" may soon be looking for a new location, if their current building sells, the bar area would be an option.

A coffee shop opening onto the top veranda, other rooms used for community purposes, the possibility of an art collection and maybe an area rented to a commercial organization to cover some costs.

A town committee could manage the building and volunteers could complete some of the work. Eden is very well known for volunteers completing projects.

As to the cost for buying the building, it is difficult to know from local gossip what the purchase price for the complex was, but given the sale value of the liqueur and poker machine licensees it would seem that the net cost of the land would have been below one million dollars. The $430,000 car park space value would be more than sufficient to cover the cost of buying the original section and the developer would not have to concern themselves any further with it.

Given that council has recently, wisely in my opinion, purchased the Tura Beach Tavern for art and community purposes, and is spending millions on the Civic Centre (old Town Hall) in Bega, and that an impressive complex is being constructed at Bermagui, possibly from private money, it is reasonable to provide the same for Eden.

Option 3: Swapping for land at Merimbula.

Is this swapping the entire site? That would leave council with a major problem of dealing with the back section of the site.

Allan Gibson, Eden