Tradesmen have begun work on the dishevelled double-storey building which sits prominently on Albert Street, replacing windows and giving the grand old dame a much-needed facelift.

However, the next use for the former pub remains a mystery, with realtor Caines Real Estate remaining tight-lipped on its future. 

Hepburn Shire planning manager Justin Fiddes said the council was yet to receive a planning application for the site. The exterior of the hotel is covered by a heritage listing.

The building has been vacant since 2007 when it closed its doors as a pub and has has been on the market for more than a decade.  

Creswick residents are elated with the news of work taking place inside the building.

Resident Jack van Beveran said it is about time the building is being worked on. 

“It’s about time something is being done to restore the building. It has been an eyesore for years,” he said. “This is the most promising news we’ve had [about the hotel] for a fair while now.”

Another resident, Lyn Bishop, shared similar sentiments. 

“I was very excited when I saw the tradesmen. The restoration will be fantastic. We have lived here for 15 years and the building has been derelict all that time,” she said. 

Tradesmen working on the building have also remained tight-lipped, but said the community had been very interested in what they were doing.

They said they were interrupted multiple times a day by nosey residents wandering onto the work site. 

Last November, Hepburn Shire Council issued the building’s owners with a clean-up notice after pieces of the pub began falling onto the street. 

The premises is owned by a group of investors from outside of Creswick who have remained anonymous.