$250,000 State Government grant to transform vacant Victoria Hotel site into pop-up entertainment hub

The bulldozed site once home to the historic Old Victoria Hotel building, razed by fire last year, will be transformed into a pop-up entertainment hub full of retail spaces, food vans, market stalls and performances through a $250,000 State Government grant. Regional Development Minister Alannah MacTiernan was in town to announce The Welcome to Gero project, under round five of the McGowan Government’s Regional Economic Development grants program. The site of the former Blue Heelers Tavern as it was known to locals has been vacant since the building was gutted by fire in February, 2021 and soon after demolished. Owner’s Blair Armstrong, Lawson Douglas and Dave Allan purchased the site in January, 2022 through their company Maryland Pty ltd and will contribute $300,000 to the project on top of the State Government’s grant. The project aims to establish a new tourism and entertainment precinct in the heart of Geraldton through a collaboration with local groups such as Euphorium and Pollinators. It will be repurposed to host pop-up retail spaces, food trucks and market stalls, as well as an ongoing program of entertainment, performances and experiences. Mr Armstrong said they envision an exciting collaborative site that is able to showcase Geraldton and the Midwest. “That’s through a combination of arts, cultural, local produce, and creating a really family friendly and inviting precinct that will hopefully add a lot to the already exciting West End of Geraldton.” “We saw this as a really good opportunity to build on the good work that Pollinators and Euphorium have done with some of their night markets and to create a more permanent solution and opportunity for them to showcase that as well,” he said. Three other Mid West projects in Mingenew, Cue and Perenjori will also share in the $642,763 funding. Perenjori Short Stay Accommodation will use a $160,000 grant to expand its accommodation offering, adding 10 new self-contained guest rooms and a guest reception. The Shire of Cue will receive a $82,763 grant to fit out a commercial kitchen to support establishing the Cue Cafe and hospitality venue at the State Heritage-listed former Western Australian Bank building. While $150,000 will go towards expanding and upgrading the Mingenew Education and Childcare Centre, delivering a critical service for primary caregivers, enabling them to rejoin the local workforce and deal with the workers shortfall. Ms MacTiernan said the Welcome to Gero project would create a unique opportunity to build momentum and diversify the regional economy, by adding value to the city’s tourism identity and experiences. “Geraldton is emerging as a significant creative arts hot spot, including strong Aboriginal arts enterprises,” she said. “Our smaller Mid West communities; Mingenew, Perenjori and Cue, are well-supported in this round with projects that deliver significant expansions to essential services, such as accommodation and childcare, and tourism opportunities.”