Quirky old buildings offered up for new businesses
Fancy running your business out of church?
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OLD Ipswich buildings are being given a new lease on life.
Some of the city's quirkier properties are being offered up to businesses for lease including an old church, once an art gallery, on East St.
The building alongside the Ipswich Antique Centre will set new tenants back $36,400 a year and is among a host of old buildings being converted into businesses.
Around the hospital dozens of old houses have been transformed into offices and soon a brand new entertainment precinct will rise from the relic of a training college, around the Pumpyard Brewery.
In the Top of Town, business owners have a chance to move into the same building which once housed a historic Ipswich business.
The shop front on Brisbane St bears the name Loetzsch; a family name for well-known West Ipswich-born motorcycle and car dealers.
Real estate agent and Ipswich REIQ chairman Darren Boettcher said Ipswich businesses could prosper off the back of acknowledging the history behind each premises.
He said people would continue to make use of the city's existing properties which can in itself become a business's main selling point.
"We're finding people want to be owner occupiers when it comes to their business, rather than paying rent," Mr Boettcher said.
"It's whatever fits Ipswich really and people are utilizing the spaces that already exist.
"Some of those buildings are a bit quirky and that can create a drawcard in itself with people stopping by a business primarily to check out the building, but it still gets them through the door."
Historic buildings on the market
About: 45 East St - Ipswich and West Moreton Building Society
THE former Ipswich and West Moreton Building Society building was constructed in 1888 to the design of the former Colonial Architect, F.G.D. Stanley.
The Ipswich and West Moreton Building Society was the first building society established in Ipswich, and one of the first in Queensland. It was established in 1877 to meet a very real need for housing finance.
A board of directors was appointed in July 1877 including chairman Enoch Bostock, directors E.W. Hargreaves, J. Scott and D. McKay, trustees W. Ginn, J. Mcfarlane and R. Tallon, surveyor S. Shenton and secretary T.W. Hoey.
As there was no legislation covering building societies, the Ipswich society was registered in September 1877 under the Friendly Societies Act 1876.
It was eventually registered again on 5 May 1887 when the Queensland Parliament passed the Building Society Act 1886.
Source:Queensland Heritage Register
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