The development firm behind a planned revamp of Richmond’s famous but neglected Nylex silos near the Punt Road bridge over the Yarra River has been ordered to clean up or face a hefty fine.
Caydon Property Group has been served a notice by Heritage Victoria giving it three weeks to clean up the site and address the silos’ ongoing deterioration.
The group had long sought to turn the convert the silos and surrounding site into 1000 apartments, even facing down a legal challenge from Yarra Council to do so. Yet the project has not got off the ground. A series of fires over the past year have caused serious damage, and ongoing break-ins by sightseers have left additional problems.
Heritage Victoria has said Caydon faces a fine of up to $773,000 if it does not repair and secure the Nylex site as well as protect it from weather and future vandalism. The company has shot back that the required works cannot be carried out without the risk to workers of exposure to asbestos and other dangers related to fire damage.
Caydon said that it had employed Lovell Chen, a specialist heritage architect, to work through the notice with the Victorian State Government.
New developments are often advertised with the assistance of graphic design firms and flyer printing companies.
