Orange councillors will consider plans on Tuesday night for a $1.9 million northwest extension and refurbishment of the original building. 

One set of existing doors on the ground floor will be retained and restored, with remaining doors to be replaced with windows in line with the 1886 building, the first floor verandah and roof will be replaced and traditional chimney pots will be reinstated. 

Twenty-two parking spaces will be included. 

Owner Jim Saran said once complete, the building could house anywhere up to seven businesses.

“Depending on the configuration and partitioning, it could fit a few,” he said.

Mr Saran said it had too much character to knock down. 

“It’s reportedly one of the first brick buildings in Orange,” he said. 

“We had the architect come up with something that would complement the old building and made it stand out and I think they achieved that.”

However, the hotel’s rehabilitation has not been smooth.

According to the report to councillors, Orange City Council gave permission for minor work to remove the bar, paint the interior and replace carpets, but water-damaged brickwork and rotting timber foundations forced emergency works.

Some remedial works were later approved, but others such as replacing the ground floor concrete slab and removing internal walls on the first floor and the original staircase were not. 

The council report said the unauthorised works would be pursued separately. 

Mr Saran said weight concerns led to the wall removal, while the stairs were unsafe.

“It had settlement to 200 millimetres so by taking off all that load, we’ve kind of saved it at the end of the day,” he said.

“The staircase will be reinstated.”