City of Sydney Council has finally purchased Taylor Square Hotel, after years of being opposed to the idea, City News can reveal.
Lesley Dimmick, who manages Tap Gallery in Palmer Street, Darlinghurst, currently has a pending Development Application with the Council to move her business into the Taylor Square Hotel building.
She confirmed with City News that the council has gone through with purchasing the building. “The real estate agent has told me that the council has bought the building,” she said.
Ms Dimmick said council assured her that the DA would not be affected by the their takeover of the building. “I’ve spoken to the Planning Department and they’ve told me that the DA is going ahead as far as they’re concerned, so that should be confirmed in three weeks. I think it’s going to be a good outcome.”
Andrew Duckmanton, President of the Darlinghurst Business Partnership, said he has been trying to convince the council to buy the building since 2007. Although he welcomed the news, he also expressed skepticism over the motives behind the decision. “I think [Lord Mayor] Clover Moore is going to spend $70 million of the public money over the next four years into what I don’t necessarily think is the most well thought through option,” Mr Duckmanton said.
“However, Bourke Street seems to be their main carriageway. That is the top of the hill — it’s the highest point of the area. If they can turn it into a cycling hub and if they can make it work, then all kudos to them — I really, really support it myself.
“Whether it works is going to be up to them to be able to engage the community properly. They haven’t been particularly good at engaging the community over the past five years on this.”
According to him, first suggested to council that they buy the building in 2007. After a number of meetings with council CEO Monica Barone and other council officials, Mr Duckmanton was told they were not interested in the purchase.
Last year he floated the idea of converting the building to a cycling hub. “We presented to them about six months ago, but the only way I could see that they’d come to the party of actually spending money on property — because we all know they’re not very good property experts and that they’re very hopeless at managing property — was to try and fold into Clover’s grand vision of making the city green,” he said.
“I had a meeting with Clover on two Tuesdays before Christmas, and she said “there’s some things happening that I can’t tell you” and I said, “you turning Taylor Square Hotel and turning it into a cycling hub?” and she said, “well how do you know?” and I said “well, because I was the person who told you to do it”.”
Mr Duckmanton said he believed the council would use the purchase for public relations purposes rather than using it as an opportunity to benefit the community. “You realise that none of their administration actually shows any respect to the community,” he said.
“All they want to do is gain points for themselves. Now the ideal environment would be that the council works with us. But it seems to me that the council wants to work on its own and then do PR strategies to tell us how good they are.”
During her 2008 election campaign for Lord Mayor, Meredith Burgmann pledged she would buy Taylor Square Hotel if she was elected.
When contacted by City News, Councillor Burgmann decline to comment on whether the council had bought the hotel. Citing commercial confidence, she said it would be inappropriate for her to comment and that she would wait until council made an official announcement.
“I can’t comment on any specific case but I think council is getting better at judicious buying of properties that can serve both a practical and a planning purpose,” Cr Burgmann said.
“Again, I obviously can’t comment on any specifics, but anything which makes Sydney the centre of a bicycling culture is a good thing.”
City News has sought comment from the council on the reported purchase, but a response was not received by deadline.
by Ehssan Veiszadeh
