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What happened to the British Crown Hotel?
The Smith Street pub site is now associated with Bar Nero. A Ground News summary of a The Sydney Morning Herald report says Schwartz bought the property in 2019 for $5.65 million and intended to replace it with a 10-storey office building. The summary does not provide a purchase record or planning documents, so those figures should be understood as reported rather than independently verified here.
Why did the office redevelopment not proceed?
The reported proposal was rejected. Zotpaper’s October 2, 2026 account says the Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal (VCAT) rejected it twice, but the decision dates and reasons are not established in the accessible reporting. Without the tribunal decisions or planning records, it would be misleading to characterize the objections or say precisely which planning rules determined the outcome.
Why is Morry Schwartz running a pub?
After the office plan failed, the site reopened as a pub under the Bar Nero name. Zotpaper describes Schwartz’s role as publican as temporary and reports renovation work, but does not establish the operating arrangement or how long the venue is intended to remain open. The story is therefore a pivot in the use of one property, not evidence of a permanent move by Schwartz into hospitality.
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Is Bar Nero for sale?
Zotpaper reported on October 2, 2026, that the venue or property was being offered for sale. That is secondary reporting; no current listing or completed sale is confirmed by the available sources. A reported sale offering should not be read as proof that the property remains on the market or has changed hands.
What is confirmed—and what remains uncertain?
- Reported sequence: Schwartz bought the former British Crown Hotel site in 2019, proposed a 10-storey office redevelopment, and the site later reopened as Bar Nero.
- Secondary-account details: Zotpaper says VCAT rejected the proposal twice and that the property was offered for sale.
- Not established: the tribunal’s reasons and dates, the venue’s current operating status, and whether the property is still listed or has sold.
The Sydney Morning Herald article was not accessible in the reporting available here, and no primary planning decision or current sale listing was confirmed. The details beyond its surfaced summary are therefore attributed to secondary coverage rather than presented as verified records.
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