IT'S been vacant since a garden furniture retailer closed two years ago, but 173 Lords Place is about to be revived.
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A development application has been submitted to Orange City Council, proposing to demolish the building apart from the facade and build a modern building behind.
The ground floor could be leased as a cafe or restaurant, with the top floor to become office space.
The blocked-off laneway between the building and Hogs Breath Cafe next door would be paved in brick and opened into a shareway, providing access to the four-space car park behind and pedestrian access to the ground floor.
An atrium would be built behind the facade, providing access to both the eatery and the offices upstairs.
Formdell is the company which owns the property and director Tony Cheney said the intention was to activate the area.
"Lords Place is going very well at the moment, but there are a couple of gaps," he said.
Mr Cheney confirmed some of the office space had already been leased, while the ground floor was likely to be leased once construction was under way.
"We haven't determined whether it will be a restaurant - it could be retail, it could be mixed use," he said.
Mr Cheney said the facade would be returned to its 1920s glory, including the reinstatement of the original French windows.
The development application is on public exhibition until July 26.
Orange City Council is yet to assess the DA.
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