Legal action over The Entrance Azzuro Blu building

Central Coast Council is facing possible legal action from the lessee of the Azzuro Blu building at The Entrance.

In 2022, Council identified the need for urgent repair works to be undertaken at the time when the lessee was in the process of selling its lease to another business.

“Azzuro Blu P/L responded by commencing legal proceedings against Council in early 2023,” Council said in a report to be tabled at the February 24 meeting in response to a question on notice from Councillor Margot Castles.

Under the original lease, which started in early 2014 and runs to late December 2033, Azzuro Blu P/L is responsible for maintaining the complex, the public waterfront walkway and the adjoining jetty, according to Council.

“Further details to this matter would be best supplied via a confidential briefing due to the commercial and legal nature of the issues,” the report said.

“Should the dispute proceed to court, an outcome of the court proceedings would reasonably be expected to be known around September this year.

“The iconic nature of this site is clearly understood by Council, local businesses, the wider community, and visitors to the area.

“It is not possible to state categorically (in the absence of a court decision or a negotiated resolution) what the plans going forward may be.

“In the interest of allowing Council staff and Council’s expert advisors the possibility of achieving the best possible dispute outcome, one that protects Council’s commercial and strategic interests, any discussion of how best to go forward is best conducted on a confidential basis at this stage.”

The Council-owned building was built on public land and approved by the former Wyong Council in 2006.

The waterfront development, originally known as The Fisherman’s Wharf, was to incorporate restaurants, retail tenancies, public facilities and the boardwalk.

A condition of consent also required a public observation deck to be available for use by the public during operating hours.

The building is leased to a business which sub-leases parts of the building to other businesses and the once thriving wharf was home to a myriad of restaurants and a function centre; however, all but two have closed.

Presently, fencing has been erected, blocking access to the boardwalk and observation deck.

In August 2024 Coast Community News reported that Member for The Entrance David Mehan was calling for Council to either take back management or demolish the building.

“It’s an ugly and poorly executed building which blocks the public space,” he said.

“I’d prefer to see it removed.”