Publisher and developer Morry Schwartz is reported to have reopened a former Collingwood pub as Bar Nero after a plan to replace it with a 10-storey office building was rejected. The pub operation is described as temporary, with the property reportedly offered for sale; its current listing or sale status has not been confirmed.
What is Bar Nero, and where is it?
Bar Nero is reported to occupy the former British Crown Hotel site on Smith Street in Collingwood, Melbourne. The Sydney Morning Herald’s summary, surfaced through Ground News, says Schwartz bought the pub in 2019 for $5.65 million and intended to demolish it for a 10-storey office redevelopment.
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The original Sydney Morning Herald article was not accessible in the available reporting, so details beyond its displayed summary should be treated cautiously.
Why did the office redevelopment not go ahead?
The available account says the proposed office redevelopment was rejected. A separate account by Zotpaper, published October 2, 2026, says the Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal (VCAT) rejected the proposal twice. The decisions’ dates, reasoning and primary records are not available in that account, so the number of tribunal rejections is best understood as secondary reporting, not a verified account of the planning record.
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Why is Schwartz running a pub?
With the office proposal unsuccessful, the former hotel site reopened as a pub called Bar Nero. Zotpaper characterizes Schwartz’s role as publican as temporary. The sequence suggests hospitality is an interim use of the property rather than the office project originally planned, but the available reporting does not establish how long the venue will operate or the precise terms of Schwartz’s involvement.
Is Bar Nero for sale?
Zotpaper’s October 2, 2026 account says the venue and property were being offered for sale. That is a report of sale intent, not confirmation that a listing remains active or that a sale has occurred. No current listing or later sale was verified in the available sources.
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What is confirmed—and what remains uncertain?
- Reported by the Sydney Morning Herald summary: Schwartz bought the former British Crown Hotel in 2019 for $5.65 million, planned a 10-storey office redevelopment, and the venue reopened as a pub after the plan was rejected.
- Reported by Zotpaper, October 2, 2026: VCAT rejected the office proposal twice, Schwartz’s publican role was temporary, and the property was being offered for sale.
- Not established by the accessible accounts: the tribunal decisions’ dates and reasons, whether Bar Nero remains open, whether the property is still listed, and whether it has since sold.
The central story is a change of use: a proposed office building did not proceed, and the former hotel became a pub while the property was reportedly marketed. The precise planning history and present-day status require confirmation from primary records or current venue and sale information.
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