Premium Content
Subscriber only
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
Premium Content
Subscriber only
IPSWICH City Council received “several” submissions from prospective tenants keen to take over its upgraded CBD cinema complex but an operator won’t be locked in for at least another six months.
The council launched an expressions of interest campaign in January to find a business to manage the site formerly filled by Birch, Carroll and Coyle.
This closed on March 12.
It seemed at one state United Cinemas would take over the facility but rejected leasing the building late last year.
The massive financial impact of COVID-19 on the cinema industry was flagged as the reason for the decision, with businesses wanting to settle on a management agreement over a lease agreement in the current financial climate.
Premium Content
Subscriber only
IPSWICH City Council’s upgraded CBD cinema complex is expected to be up and running by early next year even with an operator yet to be confirmed for the site.
An expressions of interest campaign is under way by the council to secure an operator as the Nicholas Street Precinct takes shape.
It ends on March 2. Construction of the new Ipswich City Council administration building in the Nicholas Street Precinct is expected to be completed by March.
Construction of the $95 million council administration building is expected to be completed by March with staff set to move in from June.