Bulli & Clifton Times

CLIFTON’S landmark historic hotel, The Imperial will be auctioned by owner WIN Corporation.

The pub ceased trading in November 2003 due to a lack of passing trade when Lawrence Hargrave Drive was closed after a landslide. Sea Cliff Bridge opened two years later, but it came too late for the pub, which has remained empty since.

Colliers International will manage the sale and said the boarded-up heritage site was expected to fetch “into the millions” despite its run-down condition. WIN Corporation have indicated they no longer have a use for the building after 30 years of ownership.

The hotel was established by Alfred Broadhead in 1884 as a miners’ pub, before Reschs Brewery bought and demolished the original structure, erecting the two-storey hotel that stands today.

Wollongong City Council has approved a development application for the Imperial to trade as a hotel. It’s also zoned for residential use.

The auction will be held on-site on Saturday March 14.