Eighty Brisbane Street has its historic charm back after building owners, David and Kate Farrer received funding as part of Ipswich City Council’s pilot Façade Improvement Program which allowed them to accomplish a long-awaited goal of upgrading their shopfront.
Eighty Brisbane Street is the second shopfront to complete their façade renovations, after Ipswich City Council committed $137,000 to a pilot Façade Improvement Program aimed at improving shopfronts in Ipswich Central.
As a part of the renovations 80 Brisbane Street has received a new colour scheme which has refreshed the façade while still keeping with the historic elements of the building.
The program offered dollar-for-dollar matched funding of up to $15,000 to encourage shopfront and building owners to undertake works as part of a wider strategy to increase economic opportunities for Ipswich Central businesses.
Twelve businesses are currently being improved under round one of the pilot program.
Eighty Brisbane Street is a historic building, built in the 1890s, which has housed many successful Iocal businesses including an oyster saloon titled the Australian Café which opened in 1901, which later became the well-known City Café in 1921.
This building also housed a fish’n’chip store and café during WWII and more recently the much loved store The Shoe Repairer.
Deputy Mayor Marnie Doyle said the newly painted façade ensures the building maintains its historic pride in the 21st century.
“It is also about celebrating and protecting our heritage and it’s wonderful to see this iconic 1890s building standing proud with a new coat of paint,” Cr Doyle said.
“This council is committed to encouraging investment in Ipswich Central and this funding will help improve economic opportunities for business and building owners.
“These works benefit the Ipswich community by preserving the character and identity of this property for future generations.”
Building owner David Farrer is proud to be contributing to Ipswich’s local history and he hopes the upgrade will draw in a new tenant.
“We have been wanting to repaint the front facade for some time, but as mum and dad property investors it was very costly,” he said.
“Receiving the funding from the council was fantastic and made it viable for us.”
Read also:
Eighty Brisbane Street as the City Café, 1921.
I have just been reading about how Council is helping the ‘not for profit’ community groups to find alternative venues for their meetings that used to use the Humanities centre.
In fact, none of us has heard a word from council since we had the meeting in December.
We have had no help at all in finding alternative venues.
Certainly we have all been searching for a place ourselves. We have found most venues are expensive, well beyond our means. We accept that we will probably have to pay something to hire a place in future, but it would have been so appreciated if Council had given us suggestions of those places available that charge minimal hire fees.
Most of the groups listed are very dissatisfied with the lack of feed back.
We may have found a venue, but may be paying far more than we need to.
Morning Talkers Toastmasters Club
Ipswich
Wel Well
This is something I been waiting for yrs to happen council putting there hands in the money bucket to help properly owners in all the heritage buildings around the CBD
To clean up n refurbish the shop fronts to there original look
This deff will help bring yenants back to the CBD
BUT
Council also needs to sort some sort of residential housing in CBD get mitre ppl living in cbd will help n I don’t just mean low income ppl n family’s
I mean working n business ppl living in cbd
I agree.
Next step, knock out all the pug ugly aluminium windows and doors, restore to the standard of the historic photo and rebuild the bullnose awning and posts, . Then it will look fine.
So pleased to see these historic buildings being given a facelift. Thanks to owners & the Council for their support.