Community fights to save Coorparoo Bowls Club from becoming 80-unit retirement village
A SOUTHEAST Brisbane community is fighting to save its historic bowls club after it was forced to sell the site to developers for just $1 when it fell into serious debt.
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WELCOME to The Castle Coorparoo.
The southeast Brisbane suburb is rallying to save its historic bowls club from being redeveloped into retirement homes.
Bowls Queensland is working with specialist developer Aura to transform Coorparoo Bowls Club after acquiring the site for $1 in 2010 when the club fell into serious debt.
The plans include an 80-unit complex that would envelope one of the grounds’ two bowling greens and relocating and restoring the heritage-listed 1930s clubhouse.
While a development application has not been submitted to council, the plans have already drawn fierce public backlash against the potential loss of an inner-Brisbane community hub.
Save Our Community Green spokeswoman Megan Homer said the group, supported by local musicians, wanted to buy the club from Bowls Queensland.
“We’re yet to get a figure but that’s what we’re working towards,” Ms Homer told The Sunday Mail.
“We’ve got lots of people who are willing to put their hand up to keep it as a community space.”
The site is the latest battleground for a resistance against struggling bowls clubs, usually sitting on prime real estate, being redeveloped into retirement complexes to survive.
Earlier this month Brisbane City Council was forced to knock back plans for three retirement towers at Taringa after developers refused to reduce the scale of the development.
The council, however, wants to encourage aged care or retirement village operators to develop closer to the city so the elderly are not locked out of living in inner-Brisbane suburbs.
Bowls Queensland president Peter Williamson, who wants to create a bowls centre for excellence on the Coorparoo site, said detailed plans were expected to be ready next year.
“We’re mindful of community concerns and will be happy to discuss these plans in detail once we have a firmer idea of what’s possible and the impacts,” Mr Williamson said.
“Bowls Queensland’s overwhelming concern is the betterment of bowls and the integration of retirement living on the site secures a bright future for Coorparoo Bowls Club and the wider bowls community.”
Mr Williamson said the club was unable to survive without changes as maintenance and ongoing costs were $100,000 a year.
“I’m working two jobs to pay my mortgage”
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