Entertainment Precincts All the Rage, Four More Revealed

Just a month after TMN reported that seven new entertainment precincts were the pipeline, four more have since been announced

The seven included Canberra, Wollongong, Hobart, Melbourne, Darwin, Ipswich and Toowoomba. Now new precincts are planned for Queensland, ACT and NSW.

Brisbane

Fortitude Valley looks like having a nightclubbing precinct within the next six months.

The Gold Coast’s Artesian Hospitality has secured the heritage-listed Valley GPO on Ann Street, and two adjoining properties.

“We will be putting multiple venues within the building to establish it as a precinct,” said its managing partner Matthew Keegan.

A $7 million spend will turn the 2000 sq m space into “a variety of unique experiential venues that patrons love to visit again and again.”

The Valley GPO, built in 1887, was a long-time hotel and nightclub before falling victim to the covid lockdowns in 2020.

Artesian’s Gold Coast venues include the Bedroom Nightclub, White Rhino, Cali Beach Club and Surfers Pavilion.

It plans to open more venues on the Gold Coast and Brisbane over the next 12 to 18 months.

This week as part of a move into festivals, it signed with Major Events Gold Coast to deliver two pop up bars to the inaugural free beachfront Springtime which runs September 2 to 4.

Canberra

The ACT Government’s revitalising of Canberra’s Exhibition Park (EPIC) will include a new festival precinct within EPIC, and increase capacity for such events.

It’s already used by the National Folk Festival and Groovin’ the Moo.

The plan also calls for a multi-purpose indoor venue to also serve as an exhibition space.

In 2020 the Government suggested EPIC as the site of a 25,000-seat stadium.

Townsville

A proposal is for Townsville’s historic waterfront Burns Philp building near Ross Creek – the city’s first wharf – to be an entertainment precinct.

New company Flinders Street Wharves has applied to the council for its redevelopment to rent out to those offering concerts, nightclubs, bars, food and drink, retail and functions.

It’s set in the Flinders Street East End entertainment area and close to the CBD, the Strand and Queensland Country Bank Stadium.

One-time tenant Bullwinkles nightclub closed four years ago but Santa Fe Gold remains.

Penrith

An entertainment precinct for St Marys is mooted by the Penrith City Council in Sydney.

It is part of the NSW Government’s $5 billion WestInvest program to build infrastructure projects across Western Sydney.

Fifteen Local Government Areas are eligible. Penrith’s share of $397 million includes a wish list of 37 projects.

The entertainment precinct would cost $21 million and according to Council, will boost the local economy and align with other city-shaping projects coming to the eastern city centre, such as the Sydney Metro – Western Sydney Airport rail link, which will start at St Marys.