Development only way forward for struggling RSL Coorparoo
A BRISBANE RSL club that has been a feature in an inner-suburban hub for more than five decades says the “only way forward” is to find a joint venture partner to develop its site or it may ‘fold’.
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AN RSL club that has been a feature in an inner-suburban hub for more than five decades is looking to the future while embracing its past.
The Coorparoo RSL and Community Club has been on the corner of Harries Rd and Holdsworth St since 1962, but is now seeking a joint venture partner to develop its 2693sq m site.
Club president Merv Cuylenburg said the move was the “only way forward” for the RSL sub-branch.
“If we don’t move with the times and start catering for the local clientele and that sort of thing we’ll fold,” he said.
Advised by Engine Room Venture Management, the site is zoned for mixed-use and can be developed up to 16 storeys with five levels of basement car parking.
Preliminary schemes include retail on the ground floor, the Coorparoo RSL and Community Club on the first floor with an escalator to the street, function rooms on the second floor and apartments — potentially for retirees — above.
Mr Cuylenburg said any redevelopment will aim to cater for ex-servicemen and women, their families and the general community.
“We’re not closed off on any model at this point in time and what happens will largely depend upon the intentions of the successful developer,” he said.
“But ideally we’d like something that fits hand and glove with the sub-branch idea.
“We want to improve our welfare footprint as much as we can and that’s why we feel that probably a retirement-type of development would be ideal solution.”
Engine Room director Brendan Walsh said the expressions of interest process closes on May 1 and he hoped the deal would be wrapped up by August.
He said so far there was strong interest from developers and operators for the site, which is across the road from a Woolworths and Coles and near Coorparoo Square.
“We’re really working on a shared benefit and outcome for the RSL club, the community and the developer,” he said.
“There are tangible and intangible redevelopment outcomes for the club around the welfare for retuned servicemen and women and community.
“And there’s a great opportunity for the club to be a part of the social fabric and be relevant to the whole demographic and age bracket with retired returned servicemen and women living upstairs and going downstairs and meeting their children and grandchildren at the club.”