Expressions of interest are to be sought by Mayo County Council for the sale of the former Imperial Hotel in Castlebar.
A notice of motion to see if there is interest in developing the historic property as a boutique hotel was passed by five votes to two at yesterday’s monthly Castlebar Municipal District meeting.
As the expressions of interest are sought, the property will continue to be part of town regeneration project.
Councillor Cyril Burke, who proposed the motion, suggested a short timeframe of six to eight weeks, to establish if there is anyone interested in developing the vacant and derelict property into a hotel.
Last month the CEO of Mayo County Council Kevin Kelly had informed councillors that negotiations between the local authority and an interested party in developing the property as a hotel had fallen through. The interested party in that case had approached the local authority to discuss buying the former hotel to restore it as a hotel.
Councillor Burke has been telling Midwest News Editor Teresa O’Malley why he believes it’s now time to seek expressions of interest in restoring the property to a viable hotel business…
