Nine blocks that blight the city’s beauty
THESE buildings and vacant blocks are a blight on our beautiful CBD.
Toowoomba
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TOOWOOMBA is a pretty city but even the best diamond has its rough spots.
The Chronicle asked its readers to submit their most hated examples of Toowoomba eyesores that they wanted cleaned up, redeveloped or simply demolished.
Here are their top picks.
1. Snap Fitness, James St.
The gym caught fire twice in 2015 and at the time business owner Griff Davies waited for an insurance claim and a decision from the landlord before rebuilding.
The site was slated to be demolished but four years later it is still standing on one of the most highly trafficked blocks in Toowoomba.
2. Vacant block, Cnr of Neil and Herries Sts.
This block of prime CBD real estate owned by BP Australia sits stagnant.
The company bought the land in 2015 as part of a larger $6.84 million deal involving multiple properties.
It was a service station for years but now it is a breeding ground for Cobbler’s Pegs and Paterson’s curse.
3 McCafferty’s terminal
This blighted building has slowly decayed since the McCafferty family closed its bus service in the mid-2000s.
In its glory days it buzzed with activity as travellers from across the Australia passed through the complex.
It had a call centre on the second floor and a large freight depot out the back.
Now it is rotting shell.
A Brisbane-based developer looked at buying the site in 2018 but that deal fell through, so it is back on the market.
4. The Powerhouse
Hands up who remembers partying in the Powerhouse back when it sold itself as Toowoomba’s only nightclub.
The building’s glory days are long gone, but like the McCafferty’s terminal next door, it is gumming up prime CBD real estate.
The word around the Chronicle newsroom is that the Toowoomba Regional Council uses the building to store its Carnival of Flowers decorations.
5. Vacant blocks, Ruthven and Stenner Sts
These two blocks greet tourists travelling north as they enter Toowoomba and it is about time something was done about them.
They have sat empty for almost 35 years, though for a time there was an old blue shack and a herd of goats on the site.
According to data from CoreLogic the owner is sitting on a gold mine. They purchased the blocks in 1985 for $117,500 each and as of July 2018 they were valued at $5 million.
6. Harlaxton House
This one is on not exactly an eyesore but it is a blight on our city’s reputation for honouring our history.
The house was built in 1869 for Francis Thomas Gregory and fell into decay until Toowoomba businessman Tony Frost bought it.
The renovations have been slow going which is a shame.
A stately home like Harlaxton House would make a great tourist attraction.
7. Overgrown cottage, Phillip and Herries Sts
This cottage looks like something from a Brothers Grimm tale – a place where crones cook children into pies and lace apples with poison.
It is privately owned but nature is the entity in charge.
Vines and untamed plant life entomb the building, adding to its creepy vibes.
It is a shame as this would have been a lovely home.
8. Gore St shacks
There are three federation-era homes that sit side-by-side on Gore St. One has been lovingly cared for, the other two are boarded-up shacks no doubt infested with rats.
The good news, one is owned by the Armstrong Auto Group and is likely to be demolished to make way for a new showroom.
9. Bell Street Mall
The Bell Street Mall has long been a problem area in of our CBD.
It is colloquially known as a rough area hidden from view.
In decades passed it was lined with pawn dealers, tobacco shops and jobseeker agencies adding to its dishevelled atmosphere.
It is a little better now.