From a modest stall to a fully fledged boutique florist in the heart of the city, Kristy Tippett has gone from strength to strength and her latest move is no different.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
This month Ms Tippett signed a lease to relocate her shopfront from 415 Sturt Street to down the road to the ground floor of what was the former Unicorn Hotel at 127-131 Sturt Street.
Colliers Ballarat senior executive sales and leasing Charles Kennedy said it was "amazing" to see the space take on new life after several years of being vacant.
"It's really going to help the revitalisation of the lower end of Sturt Street, particularly when they open up the traffic to Bridge Mall," Mr Kennedy said.
The site was purchased last year by the team responsible for luxury accommodation suite Hotel Vera.
While the owners' plans for the historic property are understood to still be ongoing, Mr Kennedy said they had been "envisioning creating a lovely hotel". "They have done a number of boutique hotel developments and they fell in love with the character of the building," he said.
Alongside Windflower, a new function centre, operated by Hotel Vera chef Derek Boath, will also be on the cards for the first floor.
Mr Boath, together with his wife Lucy Taylor, are the duo behind the quaint fine diner Underbar, which opened to great fanfare in 2016.
The former Unicorn Hotel building boasts a one-bedroom apartment with polished wooden floors, high ceilings and a bespoke kitchen and bathroom on the first floor while the rear of the complex features a deck area and secure off-street parking.
The iconic building, estimated to garner a $100,000 potential income, dates back to the mid-1800s, when it was a landmark hotel catering to the local gold miners and share speculators. The estimated 300 square-metre building has an additional bluestone cellar.
IN THE NEWS:
Have you tried The Courier's app? It can be downloaded here.
Malvika Hemanth
Malvika has a strong interest in covering stories on welfare, cost of living pressures and the arts. She works on the unceded lands of the Wadawurrung people and pays her respect to elders past, present and emerging.
Malvika has a strong interest in covering stories on welfare, cost of living pressures and the arts. She works on the unceded lands of the Wadawurrung people and pays her respect to elders past, present and emerging.
