Former police station complete with padded cell up for grabs in Ipswich

FOR sale. Police station complete with padded cell and exercise yards. SEE INSIDE

OLD Ipswich police station for sale. Picture; Mark Calleja

A PADDED cell and an exercise room behind bars might not be on everyone's shopping list but they are up for grabs this month in Ipswich.

Tenders close this week on the city's heritage listed former police station which sits on more than 2700sqm of prime CBD real estate.

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The main building was completed in 1941 and marketing agents Ray White Commercial believe it is likely to end up as prestige offices, a medical centre or even a sprawling private mansion - subject to approvals.

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On a tour of the State Government owned building with The Courier-Mail, local MP Ian Berry recalled his many visits to the lockup.

But while we convinced him to do a stint behind bars for our photographer, his previous incarcerations were to visit clients during a 38 year career as a local lawyer.

Mr Berry said that while he hadn't even known the padded cell existed, he remembered the other areas clearly.

He described it as a "place you wouldn't want to be" as prisoners were crammed in beyond cell capacity and the indoor exercise yard was used as a major holding cell.

"I had clients who were here for weeks, if there was a cell available," he said.

The two-storey plus basement brick heritage building originally featured offices, eight bedrooms for police accommodation, recreation and dining rooms plus a kitchen.

Features still in place include decorative silky oak in the entrance, impressive main staircase and some terrazzo flooring.

The property also includes a radio tower and an adjoining office building, built in about 1982.

Tenders close on November 7.