A 24-HOUR brothel and lap dancing club could soon be operating in Grenville St.
Melbourne-based brothel owner Andrew Hewinson wants to open a second brothel in Ballarat with the former city council planning department offices in Grenville St one of four possible locations.
Mr Hewinson said his favoured option would be to combine the brothel with a lap dancing club.
Ballarat's only brothel currently operates in Stonepark Dr.
"I think a second brothel will only complement the existing brothel, it would really put Ballarat on the map as Victoria's regional red light district," Mr Hewinson said.
"The former two-storey council planning offices near the Pancake Kitchen is one of the options we're looking at." A business plan for the proposed brothel and lap dancing club has already been prepared, although a planning application is several months away.
Mayor David Vendy conceded that the council could find it difficult to refuse a second brothel providing it complied with the regulations and was not located near a school.
The council would also invite comment from Ballarat Police.
Mr Hewinson has been searching for suitable sites for regional brothels for the past three months with Bendigo and Shepparton brothels also on the cards.
Part of his research included installing a controversial "Sex" billboard in both cities advertising his Pickwood Lodge brothel.
The Ballarat sign was pulled down in November after the council received more than 50 complaints.
But Mr Hewinson's plan for a proposed six-room brothel in Ballarat has met with resistance from church leaders.
Anglican Archdeacon Father Robert Newton said the church was opposed to any business that sold sex as a commodity.
"It is something the Christian faith doesn't support or condone," he said.
"Prostitution is basically exploitation of women and it is counter to our Lord and his teachings.
"Sex is not supposed to be a commodity to be traded in, but something which is the sharing of love between two individuals."
Mr Hewinson said he was willing to take the issue to the Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal if the council rejected his plans.
"For the minority that are bitterly opposed, we can only invite them in and show them it is a safe environment," he said.
"I've been in the business 20 years and I understand you don't want a huge Top-of-the-Town (or) Daily Planet type brothel.
"You want something smart and conservative which houses the most advanced technology to ensure the safety of the girls and the clients."
As laws restrict anyone from operating more than one licensed brothel in Victoria, Mr Hewinson said he may sell his Brunswick brothel or operate the proposed regional brothels under a franchise system.