The historic student watering hole is set to close its doors on Friday and with no-one yet to step in and take over the lease, it could remain closed for good.
Gregory Paterson, one of three directors of Orari Street Properties Investments Ltd, which owns the building, said the university told him yesterday it was not interested in taking over the lease of the bar.
Mr Paterson believed it made the decision at the university council meeting yesterday.
The university did not respond to questions yesterday, but Otago University Students' Association president and university council member Francisco Hernandez said the issue was discussed during the closed section of yesterday's meeting. He gave no details of what was said.
Mr Hernandez said OUSA was keen to help try to save the Cook and was open to working with other parties interested in operating a bar at the site.
''OUSA is listening to students and what students are saying is that they want the Cook to continue,'' he said.
Mr Paterson said a notice given to the building's head tenant, DB Breweries - which led to the building closing earlier than planned - was not a 10-day notice to leave the premises.
It was given because the company considered the lease had been breached because the building had been left to deteriorate.
An obligation of the lease was to keep the building in ''excellent working order'' and if DB did not bring the building up to scratch, Orari Street Properties would consider chasing it for the cost of any work that needed to be done.
A DB Breweries spokesman said the company was unable to comment because legal proceedings were under way.
James Arnott, one of the owners of Cook Brothers Bars, said the state of the pub was better than when it took over.
''We have spent a pretty significant amount of cash on it and I think the reality is that it is an extremely old building.''
