AS ONE Cleethorpes landmark faces a bright future, another has failed to sell at auction.
Wetherspoon's bosses have confirmed for the first time that they are looking at taking over the Amishi nightclub, in the High Street, as a possible venue to operate in.
The news comes as Wonderland failed to meet its reserve at an auction in Leeds yesterday.
The 2.87-acre site on the North Promenade was up for sale at a guide price of £425,000.
Joint auctioneer Carl Bradley, at Hull-based Clark Weightman, said it came as a surprise after good pre-auction interest. He said: "The reserve wasn't a million miles away from the guide price, but we are now open to phone calls with sensible offers.
"The next couple of days should prove very interesting."
Meanwhile, national pub chain Wetherpoon's has declared a specific interest in Amishi, which is on the market for £400,000, as reported.
Measuring 8,400 square feet, the club has three bars, two dance floors, two DJ booths and an outdoor roof terrace. Formerly the Baton Rouge, it has a capacity for 1,000 people.
A spokesperson from Wetherspoon's said: "We are very keen to open a pub in the Cleethorpes resort.
"We can now confirm we are currently looking at the Amishi site. However, we cannot comment any further on individual sites."
There are currently two Wetherspoon's in Grimsby, The Yarborough Hotel, on Bethlehem Street, and The Ice Barque, on the Riverhead.
A regular at The Yarborough Hotel, Dave Everson, 35, of Lord Street, Grimsby, said: "I come here because it is cheap and convenient. My family have also been coming here for years.
"If there is a Wetherspoon's put in Cleethorpes I think it will do well. The chain have pubs in most towns so it does make sense. It always has a good range of drinks and an atmosphere to match."
The iconic buildings are not the only ones to have been in the spotlight. Less than a month ago, the Pier failed to sell at auction – although a buyer, as yet unnamed, has now been found.
And there's even more good news. Developers behind the proposed 80-bedroom Premier Inn hotel, in Cleethorpes, are preparing to submit a formal planning application shortly.
A spokesman for Premier Inn confirmed that the company was "still on course to develop a hotel in Cleethorpes" despite rumours circulating in the town that it had pulled out of the resort.
The £8 million development is earmarked for vacant land at Meridian Park, on Kings Road.
