The entire site comprising two shops on High Street and the disused warehouse in Jack Hore Way were snapped at auction by developer Jason McPhail in late 2019 for $585,000.

He hoped work could start on the replacement, single storey building in the new year and when the shop fronts were leased they could "kick-start" a sorely needed night time economy in the city.

"Wodonga Council is keen to work with me to get food outlets in there that are actually opened of an evening," he said.

"There is a lack of that at the moment.

"What I am trying to do is kick-start that by having purpose built floor space already set up for operators.

"People can see what has happened in that area and I'm looking to add to that."

The subject land, formerly owned by the Adams family, is located opposite the land which was originally occupied by a car yard before being transformed into more green space and car parking in the Junction Square precinct.

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Mr McPhail's plans were ticked off by council at its last meeting.

He also succeeded in not having to provide 12 car parking spaces as per council planning rules.

The reduction in car parking was granted on the basis there was already significant amounts of publicly-available parking in the area, peak parking time demand was different with food outlets opening into the night and being close to public transport.

A feature of the replacement building will be a canopy along the entire length of the High Street and Jack Hore Way frontages, providing for protection of pedestrians in inclement weather and enabling businesses to activate the street frontage all year round.

Meanwhile, Wodonga Council has started the process to sell land previously earmarked for a depot.

It has publicly notified ratepayers of its intention to dispose of land in Whytes Road and within the former saleyards site, which was sold to IMMIX.

The council proposes to sell the land via auction with plans revealed recently to purchase the current depot site in Kendall Street in a move which would trigger taking out a $4 million loan.

Also, council held a confidential meeting recently to discuss a land sale at the Logic industrial hub.

Earlier this year, council voted to halt a sale of land at Logic with the proposed selling price upsetting the council's former employee, Michael Gobel.

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