City of Busselton approves sublease for former Busselton Tennis Club building to become new chocolate shop

A new chocolate shop will make its mark on the Busselton foreshore after its owners received the green light for their plans. City of Busselton councillors voted unanimously at last week’s meeting to sublease the former Busselton Tennis Club site on Marine Terrace to Left Coast Chocolate Pty Ltd, trading as Little Otto’s Big Choc Shop. The company, owned by the operators of Shelter Brewing Co, will be offered a 10-year rent agreement with the option to extend it for up to 20 years. Under the agreement, the company will pay the city more than $107,000 in leasing fees over its first four years of operation, before moving to a market rate in the fifth year. Its lease costs will then increase in line with inflation for the final five years of the sublease, with the city to lease the site from the Department of Planning, Lands and Heritage for $1100 a year. Four submissions were received during the public consultation period, with community members raising concerns the initial rent was below market value and the length of the sublease could leave the council liable for a payout if it needed to break it. City officers noted the cost to the new tenants of the building to bring it up to standard were “higher than originally anticipated” at about $2.5 million, and the long-term sublease was designed to increase the chances of the business securing funding for the project. Acting Mayor Anne Ryan celebrated the decision. “Council recognises that having a chocolate retailer on the Busselton foreshore will complement the vibrant range of attractions already available in this precinct and bring something completely new to the mix,” she said. “On behalf of council, I would like to thank the owners of Left Coast Chocolate Pty Ltd for their continued interest and investment in our city, and look forward to trying out their chocolate products when they are ready to open.”