Coogee staple Selina’s lost in contentious pub reno

Selina’s has been a cornerstone of Sydney’s music scene for over 50 years, but a Coogee redevelopment will take it off the map.

Coogee residents will say goodbye to an iconic nightclub as contentious redevelopments seek to revitalise the beachside strip.

East Sydney staple the Coogee Bay Hotel has been primed for redevelopment since 2021, with approval for the reconstruction granted on Tuesday.

Driven by C!NC Hotels owner Chris Cheung, the development will involve scrapping a number of spaces within the historic restaurant, including the famous Selina’s nightclub.

The Coogee Bay Hotel development will demolish a number of existing buildings, including Selina’s.

Selina’s has been a home for rising Sydney acts over the past 50 years. It’s a favourite of the Foo Fighters. Selina’s spruiked its role in highlighting the talents of local acts like The Chats, Ocean Alley, and Hockey Dad.

The 2021 proposal brought a $112m capital investment to the venue.

It will build out an apartment block, expand the hotel accommodation, provide further basement parking, and add an internal restaurant laneway.

The revitalised Coogee Bay Hotel will rise to 21.35m high, above the area’s 12m building limit.

The alcove, to be named Selina’s Lane in the nightclub’s honour, will spotlight eleven cafes and retailers.

In a contentious move, the renovation will raise the building height to 21.35m, towering over Coogee’s 12m building height limit.

The Sydney East Planning Panel fronted resident complaints at a hearing last week. Locals were worried the development would hurt existing businesses and stick out due to its height.

The development project comes courtesy of C!NC Hotels owner Chris Cheung.

“The noise, traffic congestion and general intrusion on enjoyment will mean people will be forced to shop elsewhere,” resident Hector Abbott told The Daily Telegraph.

“Approving this development will kill Coogee and will turn it into a ghost town.”

The development was approved by the panel in a four to one vote regardless. The proposal was originally flagged in 2021 which led to revisions such as a height reduction, the retention of historic building facades, and the scrapping of a planned supermarket.

The Coogee hotel sits within the Randwick Council LGA. Almost 10,000 residents signed a petition to stop the redevelopment over the three years since the project was announced.

Originally published as Coogee staple Selina’s lost in contentious pub reno