City of Rockingham building no longer for sale, set to become new base for Rockingham Lotteries House

Building a bigger workforce at the City of Rockingham is going to come at a sizeable and additional $1.85 million foregone cost.

The City of Rockingham has for some time planned to sell the old Wanslea childcare building on Council Avenue, but now plans to keep the building so it can become the new home of Rockingham Lotteries House.

RLH operates from the council’s administration centre and by making the shift to new, enlarged premises, will free up space to accommodate the city’s own burgeoning staff numbers.

Four years ago the Wanslea building was valued at an estimated $1.85m, according to council documents.

It was among a number of city-owned properties that were to be put up for sale after a council decision two years ago, but a recent review discovered a space shortage at city headquarters and the plan was hatched for RLH to shift.

At last Tuesday’s Rockingham council meeting, the council pulled the Council Avenue building from its saleable list and granted formal permission to start the Lotteries House relocation plan.

Had the building been sold, the City of Rockingham’s plan had been to set the proceeds aside to spend on future property portfolio purchases.

Wanslea left in April, so the Council Avenue building is currently vacant.

The city also expects it to be bigger than RLH requires and so there will be extra community spaces available for lease or hire once a new fit-out is complete.