It’s been sitting idle for 15 months and has been an eyesore and a haven for birds since fire ripped through it in November 2016.
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The former Fr Riley’s Opp Shop on High Street’s eastern end is finally poised for demolition.
The premises, which once operated as car dealership Sharton Motors, has been left untouched since the fire.
It needs to come down. This whole process has been so frustrating.
- Norm Burton Jnr.
The blaze resulted in Fr Riley’s charity outlet suffering a loss of $100,000.
The opp shop is now operating from a new location in Lee Street, next to St John the Baptist School.
The building’s owners, the Burton Family who also own Maitland Toyota, have been held up with demolition because of requirements imposed by Maitland City Council.
Norm Burton Junior said the family’s hands have been tied in relation to clearing the site.
He conceded the building has been an eyesore.
“We want it demolished and want to rebuild on the site,” he said.
“Hopefully we are in the final stages of sorting through issues that council needs us to address prior to demolition such as heritage reports and checking the site for asbestos,” he said.
Mr Burton said whatever is built on the site will be sympathetic to the surrounding heritage buildings and will be something that will enhance the eastern end of High Street.
“It needs to come down. This whole process has been so frustrating,” Mr Burton said.
Fr Riley’s Opp Shop manager Robert Innes said pigeons have always been a problem at the site even when the business was operating.
“There is still a lot of stock in there but we can’t use it because it has been damaged by smoke, fire and water,” Mr Innes said.
“The whole site has to be bulldozed.”
Mr Burton said he is exploring the possibility of entering into a partnership for the future development.
“We do have some plans on the drawing board but nothing firm locked in at this stage,” he said.
Fr Rileys Opp Shops raise money for Youth off the Streets.
Mr Innes said the organisation is still looking for donations of all goods so long as they are clean and saleable.
“We now have CCTV monitoring all around the new site and will be taking action against anyone identified leaving goods after hours.”
The charity in Maitland continues to look for volunteers, both men and women.
Maitland Police were treating the blaze as suspicious.
