Brisbane-based <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/developers/red-co">Red &amp; Co Developments</a> has officially launched its $250million COMO apartment development in Varsity Lakes, while simultaneously commencing construction.&nbsp;

Building work is now underway at COMO following the appointment of <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/builders/5point-projects">5Point Projects</a> as contractor to deliver the boutique development which will rise on a 2857 sqm site overlooking Lake Orr at 22 Lake Street.

When completed, <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/como-varsity-lakes-22-lake-street-varsity-lakes-qld-4227">COMO</a> will comprise 156 apartments across 16 levels located in the heart of Varsity Lakes.

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The project, which will sit alongside Bond University, will deliver a diverse array of apartment designs comprising one-, two- and three-bedroom residences that have already attracted interest from local and interstate investors as well as an array of owner occupiers looking to gain a foothold in the precinct.

Red &amp; Co, which has largely focused on the Brisbane market in recent years where it has delivered more than 500 apartments and townhouses across 26 projects, has designed COMO to combine tranquil, lakeside living with the vibrant urban convenience of the vibrant Varsity Lakes village.

“We’re thrilled to announce a start to construction of COMO in conjunction with the official launch of the project, our first for the Gold Coast,” said Red &amp; Co Director and Co-Founder David Laverty.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=135546 project_image_fid=363509]

“COMO is superbly positioned to capture the essence of the Varsity Lakes village lifestyle and its thriving café and dining precinct, while delivering a much-needed diverse supply of premium residences for the local market.

“Pre-launch inquiries have been strong among both local and interstate investors and owner-occupiers, including downsizers and upgraders who appreciate the value proposition that COMO represents.”

Prices at COMO start from $1,000,050.

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Designed by <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/architects/bda-architecture">BDA Architecture</a>, the COMO development incorporates an extensive range of amenities for residents including a 25-metre rooftop lap pool, sundeck, barbecue and dining areas, as well as multiple rooftop pickleball and paddleball courts, a wellness and activity centre, gym, sauna, plunge baths and landscaped gardens.

“COMO presents a rare opportunity to secure a stylish, lifestyle-focused home in one of the Gold Coast’s most sought-after neighbourhoods,” added Laverty.

“The rooftop will be the epicentre of fun for residents with an array of amenities for residents that are quite unique for a boutique project such as this, all while offering spectacular vistas across the Gold Coast as far north as Southport and south to Burleigh.”

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&nbsp;

Red &amp; Co has chosen the Varsity Lakes site for its proximity to top-tier schools, major shopping hubs, such as Robina Town Centre and its CBD offering, as well as key Gold Coast transport links, including Varsity Lakes Train Station.

COMO will be located just a short walk to shops, cafes and restaurants in Varsity Lakes and just a 10-minute drive to the Burleigh Heads beachfront.

With construction currently underway, Red &amp; Co anticipates COMO will be completed in 2028.

[smartcode_project_cta:default project_id=135546]

Joel Robinson

Red & Co to launch debut Gold Coast development Como Varsity Lakes as construction commences

Longstanding Gold Coast developer Raptis has acquired a prime development site on Surf Parade for its next Broadbeach apartment project.

Progressing towards completion of <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/the-sterling-broadbeach-6-8-george-avenue-broadbeach-qld-4218">The Sterling Broadbeach</a>, 90 apartments on nearby George Avenue, <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/developers/raptis">Raptis</a>, led by second-generation family man Evan Raptis, has picked up a block on the corner of Surf Parade and First Avenue.

The site had been earmarked for a luxury apartment project with 33 full-floor apartments across a 37-storey tower. Raptis will go back to the drawing board and create a building more appropriate for the site. The development application will be lodged later this month.

Evan Raptis told Apartments.com.au the site ticks all the boxes.

"Broadbeach is a suburb we've developed several buildings over the years. Surf Parade ticks all the boxes for the type of apartment development we want to deliver."

Raptis had several pre-lodgement meetings with council to ensure they are aligned in the development.

<img alt="Raptis" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="f0d58573-07a4-47a8-9f5e-fbf35fb03dc3" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/Screenshot%202026-03-05%20at%204.58.23%E2%80%AFPM.png?VersionId=iczZEd_4_o4UL0PHMPJGfy_q3tv96J5i" />

Surf Parade has emerged in recent years as one of the most popular streets in Broadbeach for development.

South East Queensland developer Mosaic Property Group kicked it off with Marella by Mosaic. Bassar Group sold out Infinity on the street, while for its&nbsp;first Gold Coast development, Polycell grabbed a Surf Parade site for <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/the-rochester-broadbeach-143-surf-parade-broadbeach-qld-4218">The Rochester</a>, which is nearly sold out.

Melbourne-based developer Hirsch &amp; Faigen recently launched its fourth Gold Coast project on the exclusive strip. The Eveleigh Broadbeach will have 100 apartments across a 31-storey building designed by Rothelowman.

GV Property Group site development specialists Antonio Mercuri and Luke Reaby, who both amalgamate sites and sell shovel-ready sites to developers up and down the Gold Coast, sold Surf Parade to Raptis.

Raptis secures prime Surf Parade site for next Broadbeach apartment development

Less than two years after breaking ground, Gardner Vaughan Group is celebrating the topping out of Bask, its second development in the exclusive coastal enclave of Bokarina on Queensland’s Sunshine Coast.&nbsp;

Located only minutes from the beachfront, the two seven-storey luxury apartment towers, known individually as Mydas and Caretta, offer a selection of one-to-four-bedroom residences with views of Lake Kawana, the Glasshouse Mountains, and Bokarina Beach.&nbsp;

[smartcode_project:default project_id=141609 project_image_fid=333359]

Gardner Vaughan Group Commercial Director Sam Gardner said the milestone marks the home stretch for construction, with first residents expected to be able to move in from Spring 2026.&nbsp;

“This is a significant milestone in bringing this development to life and represents our confidence in this region’s long-term growth and appeal,” Gardner said.&nbsp;

“With 85 per cent of apartments already sold, buyers are joining an established, coastal village that offers the very best of the Sunshine Coast – seasonally patrolled surf beaches, renowned restaurants, and links to established health and retail.&nbsp;

“The final collection of three- and four- bedroom apartments range in size from 127sqm to 300sqm, each with two or three secure car parks and storage, and with construction fast approaching completion we don’t expect the last few apartments to remain on the market for long.”&nbsp;

[smartcode_project:default project_id=141609 project_image_fid=333362]

Local restaurateur Luke Stringer, who co-owns and manages the award-winning Bocca Italian and Playa Mexican restaurants in Bokarina, has lived in the beachside suburb for 18 months and worked there for more than three years, and said the beachside suburb was thriving.&nbsp;

“It’s fair to say Bokarina is finally stepping into the sun and there’s a lot to love about the place,"&nbsp;Stringer said.

"It’s such a great community, where you see the same smiling faces every morning and everything’s within easy reach – it’s the perfect hub in the middle of the Sunshine Coast.

“When we first opened Bocca Italian, we were the lone restaurant, but it’s been amazing to see how the area has grown. The more venues that open, the busier it gets for everyone. When Playa Mexican opened its first Saturday night, Bocca had a record night and Playa was packed too, which blew us away how everyone is thriving.&nbsp;

“There’s a great energy around the place now, and people are really embracing Bokarina as a food and lifestyle destination.”&nbsp;

[smartcode_project:default project_id=141609 project_image_fid=363368]

Stringer joined other buyers at Bask Bokarina and the Gardner Vaughan Group team to celebrate the topping out at a special event in February.&nbsp;

Located in Kawana Waters, midway between Caloundra and Maroochydore, Bokarina locals enjoy scenic walking paths around Lake Kawana, playgrounds, beachfront boardwalk and parklands, alongside all the convenience of a masterplanned beachside community.&nbsp;

“You see people jogging or swimming in the morning, then grabbing coffee at the cafes, people are really embracing the area and all this growth is bringing more people to Bokarina,” Stringer added.&nbsp;

To take advantage of the vistas, each of the 135 apartments at Bask is designed with full size windows and high ceilings that provide an abundance of natural light.&nbsp;

Prices for the remaining three-bedroom apartments start at $1,599,000 and four-bedroom apartments start at $3,149,000.&nbsp;

[smartcode_project:default project_id=141609 project_image_fid=363369]

The mixed-use development also features ground-level retail space for cafés, dining options and boutiques, including the soon-to-be-opened ‘Corner Shop’, by the team behind Noosa’s well known ‘Organika’.

Sam Gardner said Gardner Vaughan Group’s 37-year history building and developing across South East Queensland has contributed to the success of its second development in Bokarina, which follows the recently completed Zinc Apartments.&nbsp;

“We care how people live and this is reflected in the way we approach the design and delivery of every development,” he said. “Furthermore, as a builder-developer we have full control over the construction program and our 100 per cent completion rate is something people can draw confidence from.”&nbsp;

Founded by civil engineers Guy Gardner and Darryl Vaughan in 1989, the family-owned business has evolved from a consultancy firm to an award-winning builder-developer, with projects across the Sunshine Coast, Moreton Bay, Brisbane and the Gold Coast.

[smartcode_project_cta:default project_id=141609]

Gardner Vaughan Group tops out Bask Bokarina apartments

Prolific Melbourne developer <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/developers/hirsch-faigen">Hirsch &amp; Faigen</a> has launched its fourth new Gold Coast development in as many years.

<a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/developers/hirsch-faigen">Hirsch &amp; Faigen</a>, led by Daniel Faigen and backed by Eddie Hirsch, co-founder of United Petroleum, has unveiled The Eveleigh, on a prime 1,100 sqm site at 7-9 Surf Parade in the heart of Broadbeach.

<a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/the-eveleigh-broadbeach-7-9-surf-parade-broadbeach-qld-4218">The Eveleigh</a> will deliver 100 apartments across 31 levels, making it the company’s largest Gold Coast project to date. It builds on the success of its three earlier developments, <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/buildings/hemingway-1267-1273-gold-coast-highway-palm-beach">The Hemingway in Palm Beach</a> and <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/buildings/emerson-kirra-100-musgrave-street-coolangatta">The Emerson at Kirra</a>, both completed, and <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/yves-mermaid-beach-7-9-mermaid-avenue-mermaid-beach">Yves Mermaid Beach</a>, which is nearing completion.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=149670 project_image_fid=360966]

The announcement of The Eveleigh affirms the company’s sustained confidence in the Gold Coast market which continues to remain undersupplied. It also increases the value of Hirsch &amp; Fa​igen’s Gold Coast development portfolio to more than $700 million since the company first entered the market in 2021 with Hemingway.

The company has enlisted its preferred architecture firm Rothelowman to design The Eveleigh, which will offer a thoughtfully curated lifestyle, including a substantial wellness precinct, communal recreation areas, children’s play spaces, work-from-home facilities, and shared lounge and dining areas.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=149670 project_image_fid=360965]

Designed for the prime market demographic of downsizers and interstate lifestyle investors in mind, The Eveleigh has been crafted to offer an increasingly rare blend of affordable luxury in a tightly held market. Uniquely positioned in the heart of the Gold Coast’s most sought-after lifestyle suburb of Broadbeach, the project will also boast uninterrupted beach and hinterland views.

The Surf Parade site is just a short walk to the bustling Broadbeach dining and retail precinct, Pacific Fair, The Star Gold Coast and convention centre, and an easy stroll to Kurrawa Beach and the recreational amenity of Pratten Park on the Broadbeach foreshore.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=149670 project_image_fid=360975]

“We’re excited to be proceeding with our fourth project on the Gold Coast in what is certain to become the new luxury precinct in Broadbeach,” says Anthony Bueti, the CFO of Hirsch &amp;a​mp; Faigen and a shareholder of the group.

“With the likes of Mosa​ic and Abedian &amp;a​mp; Co also launching quality projects in the area, the transformation will cement Broadbeach as the premier lifestyle and amenity suburb on the Gold Coast.

"After four years in the Gold Coast market, and with three successful projects completed, The Eveleigh is the product of everything we have learned to love about the Gold Coast and it will be an incredible addition to our growing portfolio in one of the most vibrant property markets in the country. We continue to remain very confident in the high-end Gold Coast property market.”

Urban Activation Director Matt George is handling sales for The Eveleigh, having sold out The Emerson, The Hemingway, and Yves, all before construction was completed.

Melbourne builder MAXCON has already commenced construction on The Eveleigh. They are forecasting a mid-2028 completion.

[smartcode_project_cta:default project_id=149670]

Hirsch & Faigen unveils The Eveleigh in Broadbeach

Two years after securing development approval for the final stage of its award-winning Thornton Precinct on the doorstep of Penrith Station, Urban Property Group is set to launch <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/mayfair-on-penrith-172-lord-sheffield-circuit-penrith-nsw-2750">Mayfair on Penrith</a>, around 400 apartments designed to reflect two of Sydney’s most iconic structures.

The builder-developer has continued refining the design plans for the two-building development on a significant 8,280 sqm site on Sheffield Circuit, recognising the importance of the prime parcel as one of the closest developable sites to the station.

UPG enlisted architecture firm SJB to design the project. The team said they drew inspiration from both the General Post Office in Martin Place and East Circular Quay to help shape the design. The two-level colonnade, in particular, reflects the famous GPO building, which dates back to the 1860s.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=136726 project_image_fid=362014]

There will be one-, two-, and three-bedroom apartments on offer, with interiors by Cox Architecture. Residences will sit above a retail podium featuring hospitality and lifestyle operators such as One Playground and Volcano’s Steakhouse, contributing to an activated ground plane within the broader Thornton precinct.

A communal rooftop with a pool and views towards the Blue Mountains will provide shared open space for residents. The development is positioned between Ron Mulock Oval and Westfield Penrith, with the Nepean River and Great River Walk also nearby, placing daily amenity and green space within walking distance.

&nbsp;

[smartcode_project:default project_id=136726 project_image_fid=362015]

Mayfair is being delivered by Urban Property Group, a family-owned developer and builder with nearly 40 years’ experience across Sydney. The project will be the first in Penrith to be offered with Resilience Insurance’s 10-year Latent Defects Insurance (LDI) policy, which Urban Property Group has adopted across a number of its recent developments. The developer also has a 4.5-star iCIRT rating, one of the best ratings in market providing further confidence to buyers.

Urban Property Group CEO Patrick Elias said providing additional assurance to off-the-plan buyers has become increasingly important.

“Anything we can do to give confidence in our product is a plus,” Elias told Apartments.com.au.

“Consumers are a lot more weary and a lot more concerned in buying off the plan than they ever have been. They’re making their single large investment, which is their home, and providing confidence is something that we feel is paramount.”

[smartcode_project:default project_id=136726 project_image_fid=362020]

The LDI policy provides a 10-year warranty covering structural defects, with independent inspections carried out during construction and protection for owners if defects arise post-completion.

Mayfair represents Urban Property Group’s sixth and final development within Thornton, consolidating the masterplanned precinct immediately east of the station.

The developer, which builds its own projects, has already commenced construction. SRM Residential is handling the sales campaign.

[smartcode_project_cta:default project_id=136726]

Urban Property Group to close the curtain on award-winning Thornton precinct with Mayfair on Penrith release

Oxford Street

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Four adjoining buildings on Oxford Street in Sydney's Paddington have been listed for sale.
Last traded for $3.98 million in 2014, the four street front shops and above office at <a href="https://www.realcommercial.com.au/property-retail-nsw-paddington-502738310" target="_blank">30-36 Oxford Street</a> yield a fully leased gross income of $470,000 per annum.
They are currently leased to home goods store Utopia Goods, graphic designer Deuce Design, fashion accessory store Tradition Textiles and jewellery store South West Trader.
Tax consultant Drummond Tax currently utilise the upstairs offices.
The properties, with 16 metre frontage to Oxford Street sit on 700 sqm and have parking for eight cars at the rear of the property that is zoned B4 Mixed Use.
Oxford Agency Darlinghurst agents Ralph Garofano and Steffan Ippolito are marketing the properties.
The last single retail sale on Oxford Street came last month when <a href="https://www.realcommercial.com.au/property-retail-nsw-paddington-503128082" target="_blank">383 Oxford</a>, toward the north end of the retail strip, sold for $2 million.
The home of USA Nails was being sold for the first time in five decades.
There have been four sales of retail premises on Oxford Street this year.
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jrobinson-rf4aSBido9

Four Oxford Street shops to be offered in one line

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The local strip retail market has gone through an evolution over the past 10 years, and Oxford Street in Paddington has been a part of that change, according to Ray White's latest Between the Lines report. 
Ray White Commercial Eastern Suburbs director Grant Whiteman said destination strips like Oxford Street have had to reposition.   “This is off the back of local development, e-commerce, demographics, and spending habits, which have all changed the way individuals interact with local shopping,” Mr Whiteman said.   “While tenant mixes have seen some movement, rental rates and vacancies do continue to fluctuate.   “However, enquiry levels remain elevated for investment, with yields achievable in the 5-5.5 per cent range.”   Ray White head of research Vanessa Rader said Ray White Commercial Eastern Suburbs had surveyed the Oxford Street retail strip in January 2019 to determine tenancy mix and vacancies.   “Results have been encouraging, with vacancies of approximately 8.85 per cent recorded. Our last survey conducted in early 2015 saw vacancies at 11.81 per cent,” Ms Rader said.
Click here <a href="https://www.propertyobserver.com.au/images/2019/3/27/OX1.jpg" target="_blank">to enlarge</a>.
<img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dz9xllyip/image/fetch/c_scale,w_580,q_auto:good/https://s3-ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/po.images/2019/3/27/OX1.jpg" alt=""> 
“This period in 2015 was difficult for the region given the vacation of larger multinational tenants and the uncertain identity for this area. “Oxford Street enjoys high foot traffic and a heavy reliance on the clothing and soft good sector.   “Known as a fashion strip, this location also had a strong weighting towards furniture and homeware retailing to cater for the fashion-conscious home owner, however this has reduced over the last few years to just 2.46 per cent of the strip.   “While other retail locations favour food retailing, Oxford Street only represents 13.92 per cent of combined specialised food, café and restaurant retailing.   “Many retail centres and strip locations have favoured food retailing, and given the increase in retail spending habits geared towards food, this segment is somewhat immune to the internet shopping phenomenon that has changed the face of retail over the last ten years.   “While this may be below rates achieved in other locations, this has shown a swift upward movement since our last survey, where this accounted for less than 10 per cent of the total floorspace.   “While some owners have invested into capital expenditure and repurposing spaces, others have not, which results in a range of quality in tenants, with rental rates in a wide range between $350 to $900/sq m gross.   “This is down from the prime range of $900 to $1,500/sq m achieved in our 2015 analysis, and the highs of pre-Westfield Bondi Junction, upwards of $1,200/sq m.”   
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jonathanchancellor-7SQnKwU6yx

Paddington's Oxford Street seeing encouraging signs: Ray White

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The slump in retail commercial property continues as even stores fronting Paddington's pricey Oxford Street can't attract buyers.
It's the stock at the city end of Oxford Street which is struggling to sell.
The longest on the market has been four mixed use buildings at <a href="https://www.commercialrealestate.com.au/property/30-36-oxford-street-paddington-nsw-2021-2014233230">30-36 Oxford Street</a> (above) which are described in the marketing an "undeniably the best shop fronts in Oxford Street."
They last sold for $3.98 million in 2014.
The buildings, to be sold in one line across 700 sqm, are currently configured as four retail shops with a first floor residence or office.
Steffan Ippolito at Oxford Agency advised that fully leased the potential gross income per annum is $470,000 plus.
The properties that have over 400 sqm of floor area have been on the market since March.
Another shop front sat idly on the market since April is at <a href="https://www.realcommercial.com.au/property-retail-nsw-paddington-502777006" target="_blank">56 Oxford Street</a>, the home of womens clothing store Rodeo Show (below).
<img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dz9xllyip/image/fetch/c_scale,w_580,q_auto:good/https://s3-ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/po.images/2018/10/23/Oxford2.jpg" alt="">
The freehold shop and first floor office with rear lane access is being offered with vacant possession by Richardson &amp; Wrench Commercial.
It last traded for $1,815,000 in 2005.
Continuing up the road to the Woollahra end of Oxford Street, a shop at <a href="https://www.commercialrealestate.com.au/property/90-oxford-street-paddington-nsw-2021-2013673205" target="_blank">90 Oxford Street</a> on 110 sqm was listed for $2.3 million late last year.
Its re-listing is expected to see a similar guide, which puts it only a few hundred thousand up on its $2 million trade some 15 years ago.
The shop had 50 sqm of internal space over each of its three levels where there's also a one bedroom apartment.
The ground level tenancy expired late last year, and the residential tenancy expired earlier this year.
There are two new listings on the street which has been renowned for retailers and designers over the years.
Opposite Paddington Town Hall just listed is a mixed use retail commercial property on 200 sqm with a six metre frontage to Oxford Street.
The three level building at <a href="https://www.commercialrealestate.com.au/property/244-oxford-street-paddington-nsw-2021-2014696321" target="_blank">244 Oxford Street</a> (below) has three separate tenancies.
<img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dz9xllyip/image/fetch/c_scale,w_580,q_auto:good/https://s3-ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/po.images/2018/10/23/Oxford3.jpg" alt="">
It comprises a 115 sqm retail component on the ground floor, currently vacant, and a second 35 sqm ground floor tenancy at the rear of the property that opens to Begg Lane. That's leased to hair salon Papillion Hair.
Levels one and two are occupied by a DA approved erotic massage parlour.
The Oxford Street retail has an estimated income of $115,500 per annum, while the rear hair salon pays $36,500 per annum. They have a new three year lease.
Levels one and two have a passing income of $70,191 per annum, with a 10 plus 10 year lease.
The property last traded for $3,635,000 in 2011 when it had a guide of $4 million.
The latest commercial premises isn't solely retail. It is being marketed as suiting a variety of uses, including a gym, real estate office, art gallery or corporate HQ.
The underdeveloped site at <a href="https://www.commercialrealestate.com.au/property/345-347-oxford-street-paddington-nsw-2021-2014719004" target="_blank">345-347 Oxford Street</a> sits next to a Mitre 10 and William Street carpark with frontages to Oxford Street and Regent Lane.
It has flexible B4 mixed use zoning and last sold in 2013 when it fetched $5.5 million.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
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Prime Oxford Street retail sits on market as more stores listed

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The Greek Orthodox Community NSW, owners of 1-11 Oxford Street, Darlinghurst/Paddington are sounding out the City of Sydney with hopes for a hotel conversion.
The church community has been long criticised for the mostly dormant premises over the past decade or so.
The initial hopes are for a six story hotel, which would sit behind its historic three storey facade.
The council has received a pre-development application approach.
The hotel would be welcomed by landlords who have nearby retail, the relatives of those hospitalised nearby, and attendees at events at the SCG.
<a href="https://www.commercialrealestate.com.au/property/1-11-oxford-street-paddington-nsw-2021-12206319" target="_blank">Two years leases</a>are being currently offered through Gunnings for the empty historic building which was once known as the Grand Pacific Blue Room
<img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dz9xllyip/image/fetch/c_scale,w_580,q_auto:good/https://s3-ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/po.images/2018/6/27/greek5.jpg" alt="">
It sits on one of Sydney's best known and busiest intersections, the point where Oxford Street meets South Dowling Street, Victoria Street and Barcom Avenue.
The precinct is known by locals as Three Saints Square, a five-way intersection on Oxford Street that covers two suburbs, Paddington and Darlinghurst and it is controlled by two councils, the City of Sydney and Woollahra Municipality.
The building included the former Academy Twin premises which operated between 1974 to 2010.
It reportedly opened with Roman Polanski's Macbeth and quickly became one of Sydney's best-loved arthouse cinemas.
It was closed by Palace Cinemas in June 2010 when it was unable to reach a new lease agreement with the building's owner, the Greek Orthodox Community of Sydney.
 
 
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j.ballantyne1990-6AQqhLzZaK

Greek Orthodox Community seek hotel conversion of Oxford Street, Paddington landmark building

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In London, there is Soho; in New York, Chelsea and Greenwich Village; and in San Francisco, there is the Castro. In <a href="https://www.newsouthbooks.com.au/books/gay-sydney/" target="_blank">Sydney</a>, there is Darlinghurst and, more specifically, Oxford Street. These are neighbourhoods of large cities that have, since at least the 1950s and often earlier, developed a reputation as queer spaces.
In more recent years, those reputations have <a href="http://www.australianreview.net/digest/2015/04/mckinnon" target="_blank">begun to fade</a> and the enduring meanings of the “gaybourhood” have come into question.
But what each of these places represents is the centrality of urban space to the emergence of visible, “out and proud” lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer identities and communities.
Queer Sydney in the ‘Golden Mile’ era
The peak years of Oxford Street’s queer life extended from the mid-1970s until the mid-1990s. In the years after the second world war, many gay men in Sydney socialised in CBD hotels, including the <a href="https://dictionaryofsydney.org/entry/hotel_australia">Hotel Australia</a>.
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/215505/original/file-20180419-163971-8935d7.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=1000&amp;fit=clip"><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/215505/original/file-20180419-163971-8935d7.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;fit=clip" alt=""></a>
A guide to the ‘Golden Mile’ published in the Oxford Weekender News, one of many ‘bar rag’ newspapers that circulated the 1980s queer scene. Author provided
The first LGBTQ clubs on Oxford Street were Ivy’s Birdcage and Capriccio’s, which both opened in 1969. By the beginning of the 1980s, Oxford Street was home to a string of bars, clubs, saunas and cafes and had become known as Sydney’s gay “Golden Mile”.
The emergence of this gay heartland represents extraordinary social change. Male homosexuality remained illegal in New South Wales until 1984. The homosexual men socialising in 1950s CBD hotels were required to do so with discretion – the consequences of discovery could be devastating.
In contrast, the queerness of a venue like <a href="https://www.propertyobserver.com.au/https://dictionaryofsydney.org/media/1500" target="_blank">Capriccio’s</a> was defiantly visible and undeniable. As more venues were opened along the Golden Mile, the street itself became a gay space, as did the surrounding neighbourhoods where LGBTQ people – particularly gay men – made homes in the terraces and apartments of Darlinghurst and Paddington.
A simple walk along the street became an act of participation in an emerging community.
<img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/215348/original/file-20180418-163971-eb8b44.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;fit=clip" alt="">
Ivy’s Birdcage at 191 Oxford Street was one of Darlinghurst’s first drag bars. <a class="source" href="http://www.camp.org.au/" target="_blank">Sydney Pride History Group</a>, Author provided
Members of a marginalised social group were thus using urban space to resist oppression and build a community. For some, this produced a kind of utopia. In an interview with Sydney’s <a href="http://www.camp.org.au/" target="_blank">Pride History Group</a>, DJ Stephen Allkins described his first visit to the Oxford Street disco Patch’s as a teenager in 1976. He remembers:
I was home. That was it. It was the most fabulous place I’d ever been in my life … It’s full of gay people and they’re all dressed to the nines. They’re not hiding under a rock … They’re expressing and happy.
<h2>Finding a place in the queer community</h2>
But these feelings of joy at having found such a space can be complicated by a range of factors. The gay community was certainly not free from sexism, racism and transphobia, meaning that some within the LGBTQ community were granted far easier access to these spaces than others.
<iframe src="https://public.tableau.com/views/NSWSameSexCouplesbyPostcode/SamesexcouplesinNSWbypostcode?:showVizHome=no&amp;:embed=true%22" width="100%" height="450"></iframe>
Indeed, although Golden Mile-era Oxford Street included venues popular with lesbians, including the women-only bar Ruby Reds, the surrounding neighbourhood was more identifiably gay than <a href="http://www.publishing.monash.edu/books/ud-9781922235701" target="_blank">lesbian</a>.
<audio width="300" height="32" preload="metadata" controls="controls" data-duration="103" data-image="" data-title="Katy O'Rourke recalls her first visit in the 1970s to queer venue Chez Ivy in Bondi Junction." data-size="1646383" data-source="Sydney Pride History Group" data-source-url="http://www.camp.org.au/sphg-home/35-100-voices-tabs/178-100-voices" data-license="Author provided" data-license-url=""><source src="https://cdn.theconversation.com/audio/1141/090829-kor-chez-ivy.mp3" type="audio/mpeg"></source></audio>
<div class="audio-player-caption">Katy O'Rourke recalls her first visit in the 1970s to queer venue Chez Ivy in Bondi Junction. <a class="source" href="http://www.camp.org.au/sphg-home/35-100-voices-tabs/178-100-voices" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">Sydney Pride History Group</a>, Author provided
</div>
<h4>Source: <a href="http://www.camp.org.au/sphg-home/35-100-voices-tabs/178-100-voices">Sydney Pride History Grouop</a>
</h4>
Inner-west suburbs including Leichhardt and Petersham were far more significant urban spaces in the lives of many queer women. Lesbian share-houses in these neighbourhoods became central sites of feminist politics, activism, sex and romance.
Penny Gulliver, a resident of legendary 1970s share-house “Crystal Street”, has remembered that women “who were just coming out, because there was nothing like a counselling service then, they’d come to Crystal Street”.
Into the new millennium, Oxford Street’s place as the gay heart of Sydney became less certain. As LGBTQ businesses failed and venues closed, questions emerged as to whether a community now more a part of the mainstream still needed its own spaces.
<audio width="300" height="32" preload="metadata" controls="controls" data-duration="116" data-image="" data-title="Angela Crimmon talks about the ongoing importance of queer spaces in Sydney's west." data-size="1852034" data-source="Pride History Group" data-source-url="http://www.camp.org.au/sphg-home/35-100-voices-tabs/178-100-voices" data-license="Author provided" data-license-url=""><source src="https://cdn.theconversation.com/audio/1137/080225-ac-lesbian-friendly-suburbs.mp3" type="audio/mpeg"></source></audio>
<div class="audio-player-caption">Angela Crimmon talks about the ongoing importance of queer spaces in Sydney’s west. <a class="source" href="http://www.camp.org.au/sphg-home/35-100-voices-tabs/178-100-voices" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">Pride History Group</a>, Author provided 
</div>
<h4>Source: <a href="http://www.camp.org.au/sphg-home/35-100-voices-tabs/178-100-voices" target="_blank">Sydney Pride History Group</a>
</h4>
For a time, King Street in <a href="http://journal.media-culture.org.au/0607/04-gorman-murray.php" target="_blank">Newtown</a> dominated as a queer alternative. In 1983 gay publican Barry Cecchini took over the Milton Hotel on Newtown’s King Street, renamed it Cecchini’s and launched it as the area’s first gay venue. Shortly after, the Newtown Hotel, just across the road, also became a gay pub. Cecchini told the Sydney Morning Herald in 1984 that gays were leaving “the scene” of Oxford Street looking for a “more cosmopolitan mix” in Newtown.
Through the following decades, venues including The Imperial in Erskineville (made famous as the site from which three drag queens launched their adventures in a bus named <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/film/australia-culture-blog/2014/may/09/the-adventures-of-priscilla-queen-of-the-desert-rewatching-classic-australian-films">Priscilla</a>) and the Sly Fox in Enmore, home to a popular lesbian night, further developed the area’s queer reputation.
<h2>Protecting queer space</h2>
In recent years, however, a range of factors, including changes to licensing laws, have produced significant challenges for <a href="https://www.propertyobserver.com.au/http://classic.austlii.edu.au/au/journals/CICrimJust/2016/16" target="_blank">queer socialising</a> in that neighbourhood.
Newtown sits outside the zone of the so-called “lockout laws”. Late-night partiers who might once have ventured to Kings Cross are instead heading to pubs along King Street, and reports of <a href="https://www.propertyobserver.com.au/http://www.abc.net.au/news/2016-04-14/violence-increasing-newtown-alleged-homophobic-attack-victim/7328142" target="_blank">anti-LGBTQ abuse and violence</a> have increased.
In response, a campaign called “<a href="https://www.vice.com/en_au/article/zn7zp8/people-are-protesting-to-keep-newtown-weird-and-safe" target="_blank">Keep Newtown Weird and Safe</a>” has attempted to maintain the queer meanings of this urban space.
<iframe src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/KIJEGdCw_is?wmode=transparent&amp;start=0" frameborder="0" width="440" height="260"></iframe>
Keep Newtown Weird and Safe is an annual community festival that began in 2016 in response to homophobic and transphobic violence.
Despite changes in Oxford and King streets, efforts to keep Newtown “weird” highlight the continued value of urban space to LGBTQ communities. Indeed, among a younger generation, new forms of queer identity continue to inspire the search for spaces in which to celebrate difference.
In pockets of the inner west, for example, young queer, transgender and <a href="https://theconversation.com/explainer-what-is-genderqueer-48596" target="_blank">genderqueer</a> people are creating spaces of activism, partying, performance and everyday life. This new generation is exploring the fresh possibilities of queer identity and developing their community. Access to urban space remains central to this.
Like the city itself, the LGBTQ community continues to be less a fixed entity than a process of <a href="http://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1068/d14012" target="_blank">movement</a>, adaptation and change.
<a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/scott-mckinnon-137550" target="_blank">Scott McKinnon</a>, Vice-Chancellor's Postdoctoral Research Fellow, <a href="http://theconversation.com/institutions/university-of-wollongong-711" target="_blank">University of Wollongong</a>
This article was originally published on <a href="http://theconversation.com" target="_blank">The Conversation</a>. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/big-city-gaybourhoods-where-they-come-from-and-why-they-still-matter-93956" target="_blank">original article</a>.
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Why big city gaybourhoods matter: Scott McKinnon

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The Colombian Hotel on Sydney's Oxford Street has been listed for sale through Andrew Jolliffe and Joel Fisher of Ray White Hotels Australia in conjunction with Gerry Quinlan of Manenti Quinlan &amp; Associates.
The three level former Westpac Bank building is on the Corner of Oxford and Crown Streets, Darlinghurst. It has been listed by hotelier David McHugh with $20 million hopes.
Co-agent and Gerry Quinlan said the property has consistent and reliable annual revenue as well as 30 high performing poker machines, will attract strong interest from a broad range of hotel and property investors.
“It is a unique property that attracts strong patronage across a range of operating time frames, as well as enjoying formidable revenue from gaming operations; consistently ranked highly in the State’s Top 200 gaming venues quarterly” he said.
“We have seen a resurgence in commercial property values in Oxford St after a period of suppression given development in other areas, however what is clear to astute investors is that the various infrastructure investment strategies being deployed at both State and Federal level will have a significant impact on the value of commercial property in the Oxford St precinct."
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