A development company, acting on Woolworths’ behalf, set the rumour mill spinning when it purchased the 16,000 square metres of land some five years ago. Bounded by Lagoon Street, Bruce Street and Fenwick Crescent and embracing the old bowling club, the block takes in some of Goulburn’s most picturesque heritage homes.

Woolworths never fully revealed its plans for the site, despite sounding out Goulburn Mulwaree Council. Reports were rife it included an expanded supermarket. But this month the chain quietly put the parcel, zoned B4 Mixed Use, on the market. Expressions of interest close on April 3 for the block, which also includes eight houses.

Ray White Real Estate principal Justin Gay said he’d fielded healthy interest.  

“The inquiry has been strong from all over the state and Australia wide from individuals and development consortiums,” he said.

“It includes those interested in individual properties and those who want to buy the whole site.”

He said a restructure had sparked the sale, which also included eight other properties throughout Australia. 

Woolworths’ previous development plans are not being pitched as part of the campaign. Rather, it is advertised as a “multi-use” property.

Mr Gay said he was dealing with companies interested in building aged care units on the bowling club land and some interested in a shopping centre. The option of retaining Lagoon Street homes remained.

“They are not going in there with bulldozers...The consensus is that heritage is the only thing going for Goulburn and why get rid of that? It’s an opportunity to be part of a growing part of the city.” 

Former owner of 15 Lagoon Street Graeme Welsh agrees. 

He’s grown somewhat attached to the building he’s occupied since 2007. The house is part of the current sale.

The real estate agent and heritage buff was so keen to keep it when Woolworths came calling that in 2013 he secured council approval to shift the two-storey 1914 building across the road, should it become necessary.

The house would be moved, Big Merino style, on a truck 20 metres opposite to another block he owned.

Mr Welsh sold the building to Woolworths but has continued occupation, with the option of shifting the house, under an agreement with the company.

“I had a commercial agreement with Woolies and I’m happy to discuss a similar arrangement with whoever the new purchaser is if there’s an issue with the building,” he said.

“Because of the heritage constraints I didn’t want to see it lost...It is a unique and nice old place. The council’s attitude is it can’t be demolished. If a buyer wants to retain it, there’s no problem but if they want to demolish it, it’s a different kettle of fish.”

The house, converted into Mr Welsh’s office, was constructed in 1914 by John James Grant, a builder who also worked on Kenmore and Goulburn Base Hospitals and many other local homes. His large family lived there in a rabbit warren of rooms. After Grant died in 1940 the house was sold and later converted into upstairs and downstairs flats until its later use as an antique shop.

The building, described as American saloon style, is listed as an item of local significance in the council’s LEP. It is believed to be Goulburn’s only surviving double-storey weatherboard home.

Heritage may prove a hurdle to any new buyer wanting to develop the area. In 2011, then councillor Geoff Peterson instigated a heritage report after hearing of Woolworths’ purchase of the land. The Lagoon Street frontage also contains federation style homes.

Former heritage adviser Jennifer Lambert-Tracey concluded that numbers seven to 35 Lagoon Street, north of the Posthouse Motor Lodge, contained “significant items” and the streetscape contributed substantially to the visual quality and heritage ambiance of the city’s entry.

Marketing agent, Goulburn Ray White Real Estate principal Justin Gay said heritage concerns could be circumvented through a boundary adjustment and development only at the site’s rear.

He and Peter Mylonas Property Solutions are also marketing another CBD heritage building for sale or lease. The former Soapworld premises on the corner of Auburn and Clifford Streets, constructed in 1910 as the Union Bank, had attracted local and external interest, Mr Gay said.

“It’s a unique building with huge potential but limited uses. The land at the back is the big selling point...It would be great to see it revived.”

The Federation Queen Anne structure contains three upstairs flats. The building, sitting on 1037 square metres, is for sale for $1.5 million. 

Mr Gay said interest in Goulburn was “phenomenal” and there was a “real buzz” about the city.

“The interest is coming from north of Goulburn from the Hawkesbury through to Moss Vale,” he said.

“People want to relocate and take advantage of land prices...I believe Sydney is moving south and Canberra is moving north. We are also seeing renters moving into the buying market.”

Goulburn’s median house price in 2005/06 was $235,000 but last week it was $385,000, he said.

Mr Welsh said he was fielding strong demand for residential and vacant blocks for homes as well as resurgent rural inquiry on the back of buoyant stock prices and a good season.