The previous owner of Queenstown's ice bar, which was placed in receivership three years ago, is involved with the new ice bar announced for the resort earlier this week.
The project manager for the new bar is the former owner of the Minus-5 ice bar, Jonathan Botherway, who was declared bankrupt in 2009.
South Canterbury Finance, which was then owed $7.8 million, put 12 companies from Mr Botherway's extensive hospitality holdings - which in Queenstown included the Boiler Room and Minus 5 bar - in receivership in 2009, BusinessDay.co.nz reported last year.
Both bars were put up for sale by the receiver, PricewaterhouseCoopers, in 2009, the same year Mr Botherway was declared bankrupt.
He does not own a share of the new development, which it is claimed will be the biggest ice bar in Australasia, made of ice imported from Las Vegas.
It is understood that when the bar is completed, Mr Botherway will be heading to America to assist in the development of another ice bar.
