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A POPULAR Indian restaurant in the heart of the CBD will remain in the heritage-listed building it has called home for more than a decade after councillors voted for a new lease to be offered to the business owner.
Indian Mehfil’s lease for the council-owned building at 116 Brisbane Street was due to expire on June 30.
The council will now enter into a new five-year lease with owner Raj Sharma to remain in the building built in 1878. Priyanka Sharma and Baljit Sanger ahead of the 2019 Diwali Festival. The Sharmas organise the annual event.
All councillors voted in favour of this option with the exception of Division 3’s Andrew Fechner, who was out of the room due to a conflict of interest related to his family’s business in the city centre.
The lease for the building is due to expire this year. Council officers outlined how the 143-year-old building be could used as a bistro or cafe to compliment the Ipswich Art Gallery next door instead
Talks with retail brands to set up in the overhauled CBD are progressing and ‘significant players’ in the cinema industry are eager to take over the complex in the city centre