By Luis Feliu
A grand plan to turn an old business precinct in central Murwillumbah into a ‘downtown’ art gallery and cultural hub including an annex of the popular Tweed Regional Gallery and Margaret Olley Art Centre is on the drawing board.
The owner of the two-storey, art-deco-style building and property next to the historic Regent Cinema in Brisbane Street has proposed the plan for a ‘Gallery Down Town’ project, which could take advantage of the booming visitor numbers drawn to the area by the Tweed Regional Gallery just outside town.
A report by council general manager Troy Green says the property owner’s wider vision was to create ‘a vibrant and exciting art precinct’ in the heart of Murwillumbah with more than 20 separate art studios, a coffee shop, wine bar and restaurant along with public and commercial gallery spaces.
The project involves the development of the former Escape Gallery, where the annex is proposed to be located, and the industrial sheds between Brisbane Street, Proudfoot Lane and Wollumbin Street
Tweed shire councillors last night unanimously voted for a staff recommendation to support the initiative by delegating the general manager to enter into negotiations with the property owner for a trial, 12-month lease of space within the former Escape Gallery to house the annex as an anchor tenant.
Staff will also report back on lease and project costs, funding and timing for the lease.
The annex is expected to help foster private galleries and artists to establish in the precinct.
Mr Green said that the Murwillumbah TAFE building, touted to be closed by the state government. could be put to ‘creative use’, as previously put in an unsuccessful federal funding application.
‘The Arts Hub idea would fit into this proposal, as other arts collectives of the region could follow the Tweed Regional Gallery/Margaret Olley Art Centre (TRGMOAC) and council’s lead in establishing themselves in this precinct,’ he said.
‘There is no doubt that the inclusion and presence of the TRGMOAC in this development would enhance the reputation of the TRGMOAC and council due to the increased footprint, additional program options and community acknowledgement of council’s investment in the creative industries.’
Mr Green said the property owner had suggested the leasing fee for the annex to be located in the upstairs space could be dropped to $50,000 a year, or around $960 per week, in the interests of securing TRGMOAC as an anchor tenant.
The inclusion of a passenger lift from the artists’ studios space of the property of the building is also ‘under consideration’.
The downstairs space, which had been recently redesigned to maximise exposure from the street and wall space for hanging art works, had a smaller footprint and the rent had been suggested at $25,000 a year, or $480 per week.
‘The owner is open to negotiation on either space to secure interest from council,’ he Mr Green said.
Visitor numbers to the TRGMAOC were more than 110,000 a year, he said, and the idea was to draw a greater percentage of visitors into the town centre.
‘This project is aimed to build from the success of the TRGMOAC and use this new
creative hub space, with the gallery as an anchor tenant, as a catalyst to drive creative and economic development within Murwillumbah’s CBD’.
Hopefully there will be some saving f the beautiful heritage buildings that are being so badly neglected in the town. What a shame!
I think this is a fantastic idea.
An Annex is a wonderful Idea and other sites would work as well…The disused Toilet block in Queen street,long vacant shops in Main street to Proudfoot lane as well as the Hutcho building.
The rental asked for the proposed project seems high…what about half rent for 12 months to see if it works…building has been vacant for long periods of time