A novel plan to have Mayo County Council purchase the old Imperial Hotel in Castlebar and reinvent it for public and office use is being proposed by a local representative.
Fine Gael Castlebar Town Councillor, Ger Deere has called on Castlebar Town Council to make every effort in conjunction with Mayo County Council to purchase the historic building that is now on the market through a receiver at a knock-down price of €1 million from a previous €3 million asking price.
“It would make sense for Mayo County Council to take ownership because they are already renting an awful lot of office space around the town, at the Cedar Building in Moneen and on Spencer street, which is costing a fortune. My colleague on Mayo County Council, Cllr Henry Kenny, is to raise the issue at the June meeting of Mayo County Council when we will be asking for an audit to see what buildings they are currently renting at what cost and whether it would make not make more sense to buy the Imperial.”
New Mayo County Manager Mr Peter Hynes acknowledged that the idea was an interesting one in light of former plans to develop the Mall area in Castlebar as the administrative centre of County Mayo.
“We will certainly have a look, although in current circumstances it would be difficult to move on such a project with things being tight for everyone,” he told the Mayo Advertiser.
The reduced price tag in itself would not be enough to seal the deal either, he revealed. “The asking price is one thing but it is difficult to see where we would get funding for works that would be necessary to refurbish such a building. The reality is there is a lot of value in property at the moment if one had the finance - and not just in Castlebar.”
