The future of heritage-listed Gleniffer Brae remains in limbo, almost four months after Wollongong City Council revealed it was considering selling the property.Late in May, the council called for expressions of interest from groups interested in buying or leasing the property, adjoining Wollongong Botanic Garden.It attached a stringent list of conditions that a prospective buyer, or tenant, would need to satisfy.
Wollongong council may sell Gleniffer BraeThey included a guarantee that the Wollongong Conservatorium of Music, which leases part of the building, would be allowed to stay on as a tenant.Community access to the manor house and grounds would need to be maintained, along with its continuing integration with Wollongong Botanic Garden.University of Wollongong Vice-Chancellor Gerard Sutton told the Mercury in June the university intended to register its interest in the property.Almost three months after the expressions of interest closed on June 24, the council has declined to reveal how many parties showed an interest in the building, or whether it is looking at a probable sale or lease."The expression of interest process for the future use of Gleniffer Brae is still underway," a council spokeswoman said."Council is still considering the submissions received during the EOI and as the process is not yet complete, we cannot provide further details at this time. We will keep the community updated as this process continues."The 3.2ha manor and grounds have been in public ownership since 1978, when the council bought the property from the Sydney Church of England Girls' Grammar School.The manor house was hired out for weddings, conferences and events until earlier this year.The decision to investigate selling off the public property came after a council review last year found short-term hiring of the venue was no longer financially viable. The council has been reviewing a number of services in a bid to cut day-to-day running expenses across Wollongong and rein in a $200 million backlog in infrastructure maintenance.The manor was built in 1938 by Port Kembla steelworks founder Sidney Hoskins and is listed on the register of the National Trust and the NSW Heritage Register.
