Source : Perth Now news
A previously iconic landmark in Esplanade Park that has sat neglected for years will now be fully removed.
Fremantle’s Carriage Café was bought by David Furness in 2017, but closed in March 2022 due to financial constraints from COVID.
The timber railway carriage has been sitting vacant and fenced off while the City of Fremantle and Mr Furness struggled to reach an agreement, after he unsuccessfully attempted to sell the business.
Following years of public safety concerns and complaints over the “eyesore”, the city initiated works to remove the café and restore the area to open parkland on Monday.
They are expected to take two weeks to complete.
In 2024, the city issued the owner a notice under the the Disposal of Uncollected Goods Act of 1970 to remove the goods left in the café by mid-March.
This included ovens, tables, chairs, coffee machines and fridges.
Having valued the items to be worth less than $3500, the city was instructed they could otherwise be sold or disposed of by the city.
Mr Furness argued that the goods were worth more than $3500 and prevented the city from acting until the value was confirmed.
The associated legal proceedings delayed the city’s ability to remove the privately owned carriage or commence any work at the site.
However, work has now commenced to demolish the surrounding pergola, deck and concrete slab.
The two Norfolk Island Pines built into the café will be preserved.
