Sky is the limit for CBD residential

JAY FIELDING

DANIEL Beattie is powering along with his refurbishment of a historic inner-city building – which now boasts an $18,000 solar system.

Mr Beattie and his partner own the top two floors of the historic Woodrow & Son building, above Fortune Chinese Restaurant and opposite the Post Office Hotel on Bazaar Street.

So far, he has renovated and rented one out on the second floor.

He’s kept the top floor and a portion of the second floor for himself, creating a commanding two-storey maisonette penthouse.

Currently, he’s working on the second-floor portion of his apartment.

It will include a bar, billiard table and guest suite.

With its own entry, the guest suite can easily be converted into a separate apartment.

The top floor features bedrooms, the kitchen and living areas, as well as a lift from the ground floor.

“Turning them into good quality New York-style apartments – that’s my plan,” Mr Beattie said.

It’s a design style that the grand building, with its high ceilings and use of timber throughout, lends itself to.

Exposed brickwork, dark ceilings and historic fixtures help achieve the luxury warehouse look.

Mr Beattie worked in building management in Sydney before moving to Maryborough five years ago, giving him the skill and know-how to bring the building back to its former glory.

The building was built in 1885 to house Woodrow & Son, grocers and importers.

“It was built before the Post Office Hotel. It was beautiful,” Mr Beattie said.

In the 1960s, the building was bought by the local electricity board, which added a modern building at the rear, to use as offices.

“If they kept it how it was, it should have been heritage listed,” Mr Beattie said.

“But they didn’t.”

Mr Beattie hopes to turn the third floor of the 1960s building into a terrace with barbecue and plants.

Above that, on the roof, now sits a new solar panel array, large enough to cover his power use.

The 19-kilowatt system was installed by Solar Gain Hervey Bay.

Mr Beattie said he hoped to see more of the upper floors of Maryborough’s historic inner-city buildings transformed into stylish, modern apartments to help reinvigorate the CBD.

“All these buildings here, they could have beautiful apartments.”