The property in Stuart St that used to house the professional Fortune Theatre company is to be marketed for sale.
The Dunedin City Council decided yesterday to approach the market for proposals.
Cr Christine Garey suggested possibilities might include apartments or a restaurant.
Councillors also kept in mind a community initiative of some kind could emerge.
They were clear they did not want ‘‘demolition by neglect’’ to be allowed to occur.
Steps could be taken to prevent a new owner heading down that path.
Dunedin Mayor Sophie Barker said the site presented an amazing opportunity and she looked forward to seeing what proposals might be forthcoming.
The building at 231 Stuart St started as the Trinity Methodist Church in 1870.
It is classified as a category 1 historic place.
From 1978, it was home to the Fortune Theatre company for four decades.
The site has been vacant since May 2018, when the theatre company closed.
The council has incurred annual operating costs of about $122,000 — including for rates, electricity, insurance, depreciation and maintenance — while the property has been vacant.
Cr Lee Vandervis said he hoped the property would still be of community service.
The amount of time it had taken to get to this point was embarrassing, he said.
Cr Brent Weatherall said the building had history and meaning and was part of the city’s fabric.
The best outcome could be a balance of heritage protection and a future use that would benefit the city, he said.
A condition report by Flanders Marlow in 2024 determined the building was not fit for occupancy in its existing state.
Significant cost would be needed to upgrade the property.
The resolution for the property to be marketed for sale, and for the council to request proposals, was widely supported by councillors.
Cr Benedict Ong wanted the council to look at a partial sale. He abstained from the vote.
