Cafe operator buys CBD building to renovate as events space

A “quirky” building in the CBD is being reborn as an event space, cafe and business premises.

A “quirky” building in the CBD is being reborn as an event space for ballroom dancing, for a cafe and deli and as a base for a project management company.

Systems and process engineer and ballroom dancing teacher Chris Christensen has bought the former Bank of Queensland building at 16 Stokes St which has been vacant for years.

Mr Christensen said he would refurbish the property to take advantage of its high ceilings, old bank vaults and strange doorways which at one time opened to an adjoining building but have been bricked in.

“It’s probably a building that is quirky and unique enough to do what we want to do. We love the city and have always had businesses predominantly in the CBD. We want to be part of the reactivation of Stokes St and the mall,” Mr Christensen said.

The 60-year-old building includes a basement where Mr Christensen’s project management company Cachet Advisory will be based, a large ground floor space for a cafe similar to Christo’s which previously operated at The Precinct and a first level which Mr Christensen plans to operate as an events space for dancing and for use by yoga and pilates groups.

“We’ll be spending a fair bit of money on bringing it up to the standard we’ll need for our offering,” Mr Christensen said.

“We are going to do it as a staged approach. We will get the ground floor operational first. We are hoping to be open by the end of November.”

Apart from his role at Cachet Advisory, Mr Christensen is a ballroom dancing champion and teaches ballroom and Latin dancing.

He also operates the Betty Blue and The Lemon Tart in Denham St which will continue to operate in its current location.

His former manager at The Precinct’s Christo’s deli, Karyl Pattison, will manage the Stokes St cafe which will have a traditional and continental offering such as gourmet deli rolls.

While property agents are seeing a long-awaited recovery in the CBD office and retail market, with a rush of recent sales and leases in an area where vacancies have been astronomical, Mr Christensen said he was keen to be part of the CBD’s reactivation.

“We are looking long term. It makes sense to capitalise on an investment that we own. You can be part of a solution to reactivate or wait until somebody magically fixes it for you. For us, we are at a point in time where we would like to be part of a solution,” Mr Christensen said.

The 411sq m multi-level office and retail building sold through Ray White Commercial Townsville for $500,000.

Originally published as Cafe operator buys CBD building to renovate as events space