FISHING Boat Harbour is shaping up to become one of WA’s biggest tourist drawcards with a third major development announced last week.

Lion Brewing, the company that owns Little Creatures, announced the iconic Fremantle brewery will move next door with a $30 million redevelopment plan including a new great hall, larger venue and rooftop terrace overlooking the waterfront.

The upgraded Little Creatures joins multi-million projects being pursued by the Fremantle Italian Club via developer Fini Group, and AMB Capital’s Harbour Connect on the Blue HQ site.

AMB Capital, an investment arm of the Bennett mining dynasty, is finalising plans for Harbour Connect which will replace existing assets such as the boat lifters with pedestrian friendly spaces connecting Esplanade Reserve to the waterfront. 

Italian club president Fred Calginari said land tenure issues had brought the revamp of the clubhouse and four/five-storey apartment development to a standstill, but the club still wanted to go ahead.

“So does the City of Fremantle and the contractors in charge of the construction,” Mr Calginari said. 

All three redevelopments aim to make the businesses and their surroundings a tourist hotspot, with the Italian club’s proposal including an expansion of the Esplanade Reserve.

Little Creatures’ head of hospitality Mark Pearn said the time was right for an investment in the brand’s future.

“Little Creatures Fremantle is already a ‘must visit’ tourist attraction, with up to a million visitors a year,” Mr Pearn said.

Mr Pearn said Little Creatures will try to minimise disruption for its guests during the construction phase which should be completed by late 2023. 

by CAIN ANDREWS