Brendan Simpkins

GAWLER Council will undertake an expressions of interest (EOI) process to find a suitable replacement for the departed Red Centre Enterprises in the Civic Centre’s café space.

Last Tuesday, councillors voted unanimously to request an EOI document be prepared to attract potential operators interested in using the space.

It came after a workshop was convened last month to discuss the next steps following Red Centre’s withdrawal in November last year.

The EOI document is expected to be put to council for approval in March, with it to be released to the market throughout April.

It is intended that elected members would consider the outcomes of the EOI phase in May.

Councillors were unanimous in their support for a new café to utilise the now-vacant space, which has sat dormant since the closure of previous occupants Niina Marni Kadlitiya Café in March.

Cr Nathan Shanks said he was “optimistic” about the potential future use of the space.

“I think the only way forward is definitely opening this area back up, we have an asset that we are not using at the moment and I look forward to seeing what comes back,” he said.

Council is free to award the space to any of the interested parties, with a social enterprise outcome seen as a “value add” but not a necessity.

A condition of the grant council received for work conducted on the Civic Centre included the establishment of a café focused on delivering products with a native flair.

Despite the closure of Niina Marni Kadlitiya, council did deliver on that aspect of the grant.

Social enterprise elements of any submissions will form part of the assessment criteria for the tender processs.