Rebel Sport Launceston: Inside the $8m redevelopment of Empire 44

One of Tasmania’s most prolific developers has revealed more details of a CBD project to house a sports retailer, as it awaits confirmation its planned luxury hotel precinct can go ahead.

Artistic render of an $8m commercial development to house a new Rebel Sport large-format store at 122 York St, Launceston, the site of the former Empire 44 Bar & Nightclub. Picture: 6ty Degrees

One of Tasmania’s most prolific developers has revealed new details about its $8m redevelopment of a doomed CBD nightclub which closed following a major drug bust.

Once JAC Group’s development at 122 and 124–126 York St, Launceston is complete, projected to be in March 2024, it will house a large-format Rebel Sport, Tasmania’s first outside of Greater Hobart.

JAC Group purchased 122 York St, the site of the former Empire 44 Bar & Nighclub, and the neighbouring public-use carpark at 124–126 York St, in July 2021.

According to plans shared with the Mercury, the $8m demolition and rebuild at the site will see 29 carparking spaces resurfaced and retained, women’s sporting fashion and checkout on the ground floor, men’s and children’s fashion and sporting goods on the first floor, accessed via escalators, and a concept basketball court and ring for testing balls, also on the first floor.

Artistic render of an $8m commercial development to house a new Rebel Sport large-format store at 122 York St, Launceston, the site of the former Empire 44 Bar & Nightclub. Picture: 6ty Degrees

The gross floor area of the development will be 1760 sqm, with the first floor build out over the carpark to increase its retail area.

Demolition of Empire 44, built in the 1960s by James Boag’s and formerly known as Mode and Hotel New York, according to ACM, is currently underway, led by project builder Tas City Building.

The site of Launceston's former Empire 44 Bar & Nightclub, which is being demolished and rebuilt in an $8m redevelopment to house a new Rebel Sport outlet. Picture: Alex Treacy

Empire 44 shuttered in the wake of police raids in November 2019, which linked the venue to a large-scale drug trafficking operation.

JAC Group managing director Dean Cocker said the developer planned to “leave the back of the carpark open,” to allow for a better linkage through to the new Tatler Arcade precinct on St John St.

JAC Group managing director Dean Cocker at the site of Launceston's former Empire 44 Bar & Nightclub, which is being demolished and rebuilt for $8m to house a new Rebel Sport outlet. Picture: Alex Treacy

JAC Group wanted to “create something of interest on York st with a major sports store,” Mr Cocker said.

“There’s already a sports store on the corner (Intersport), so we create that as a precinct, then there’s the connection from the renewed Tatler Arcade through to here.”

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Another plate JAC Group is spinning is its proposed $50m Gorge Hotel on Paterson St, which has suffered years of delays amid multiple appeals to the Tasmanian Civil and Administrative Tribunal, led predominantly by neighbour Susie Cai, now a City of Launceston councillor.

Council’s approval of the project was ticked off by TASCAT on February 17, but JAC Group must wait until March 22 until Ms Cai’s right of appeal to the Supreme Court is extinguished.

Artistic render of JAC Group's proposed Gorge Hotel at the corner of Paterson and Margaret St, Launceston. Picture: 6ty Degrees

“If there is no appeal then we will re-engage and negotiate with the international hotel operators who have shown interest in the project,” Mr Cocker said.

“It is likely to take at least another year to undertake detailed interior design and building approval in consultation with the chosen international hotel operator.

“Following BA, it will then take a further two years to build the hotel. So, the earliest opening date is probably 2027, at which time the Gorge Hotel would create about 300 direct and indirect jobs.”

Artistic render of JAC Group's proposed Gorge Hotel penthouse, at the corner of Paterson and Margaret St, Launceston. Picture: 6ty Degrees

Mr Cocker said JAC Group had expanded its Queensland development arm since last April’s $55m sale of Josef Chromy Wines, and using money freed up in its operating budget by delays to the Gorge Hotel.

Regarding the recent news that bottling at Josef Chromy Wines would be moved to South Australia with the loss of four local jobs, Mr Cocker said not enough weight had been placed on the overall strategy of new partners Warakirri Asset Management and Endeavour Group.

That is, by leveraging the economy of scale provided at SA’s bottling facilities, Josef Chromy Wines could ramp up its production exponentially, hiring dozens of new staff, contracting with new growers, and seeing more of its wine sold on the mainland, Mr Cocker said.

Originally published as Rebel Sport Launceston: Inside the $8m redevelopment of Empire 44