WEEKS of work has been going on behind the doors of Bathurst's old Harvey Norman building as it prepares for its next stage of life.
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The property's owner, Nick Petrinovic, was in Bathurst from Sydney last week to see the site empty for the first time since he bought it.
"I haven't seen this building in this light before. It's exciting for us," he said.
Harvey Norman owned and operated from the property, on the corner of Ashworth Drive and the Great Western Highway, until about 15 years ago, when the retailer sold the site through agent David Nicoll of Elders Nicoll and Ireland.
Harvey Norman stayed on as a lessee until just recently, moving into part of the old Masters building, on the other side of the highway and a bit further west, on July 1.
The retailer won't occupy the entire former Masters building.
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Mr Nicoll said there had been plenty of activity at the old Harvey Norman site.
"Harvey Norman is in the final throes of a significant make-good [restoration to previous condition] on the building," he said. "Harvey Norman is doing a really good job and it's something that I want to acknowledge."
People who were familiar with the building as the Harvey Norman store wouldn't recognise it now, he said.
"The floors have been ground back, ceilings have been taken out, it's freshly painted, the redundant electrical has been removed and it's been reconfigured so that it can be immediately used as a showroom," he said.
"There is a more industrial storage warehouse space to the rear."
The property has not been advertised yet, but Mr Nicoll anticipates it will generate lots of interest given its location at the city's gateway and its size (approximately 1633 square metres for the front part of the building and 1720 square metres for the warehouse space at the back).
"The interest is probably going to be from two types: for a potential lessee to rent the property as is in one or a number of different formats; or on the basis of a major redevelopment," he said.
"We have got different architect plans to significantly modernise and open up and use the current facility more efficiently, creating traffic flows right throughout the site and broader access and more sunlight."
Mr Nicoll said there is scope to develop at the front of the site, where the car park and the closed road that comes off Ashworth Drive are part of the property, and on the approximately 4250 square metres of residual land at the back.
For inquiries, contact David Nicoll at Elders Nicoll and Ireland.