From trashbags to trash

The activation of Taylor Square has begun, with new short-term tenants chosen for the Taylor Square Hotel building, site of the former T2 night/day club.

The club was shut down after complaints from some locals about trashed casualties from long nights of clubbing hanging around in broad daylight on Saturday mornings.

But, at least for a while, the trashbags will be replaced by trash with the ground floor to be occupied by a branch of Reverse Garbage, chosen in line with Council’s support of sustainable enterprises. Reverse Garbage effectively recycles materials which reduces landfill and eliminates the larger carbon footprint of newly manufactured items.

The first floor will be occupied by College of Fine Arts students drawing and painting. Both tenants will have one-year leases.

“We are moving quickly to restore Taylor Square to a people-friendly space, said Lord Mayor Clover Moore. “This is an opportunity to reactivate part of the iconic Taylor Square building as a temporary creative community space celebrating the vibrancy and diversity of the Oxford Street Cultural Quarter.”

The City bought the property with the intention of refurbishing the building to its original stature, and ultimately wants the site to become a cycling hub as it sits near the end of the Bourke Street cycleway, now under construction.

The major works on the building are expected to commence within 12 months. The first stage will restore the exterior and is likely to begin while the short-term leases are in place.

Andrew Duckmanton, vice-president of the Darlinghurst Business Partnership, which lobbied for Council to buy the building, said this will be a good short-term activation for the square.

“Reverse Garbage is effectively a community swapfest recycling materials, and that’s a good thing,” he said.

But the Partnership would like to see a café on the site in the long term, plus a Council one-stop shop. The basement could be a bike centre, perhaps lending out bikes like the free schemes in some European cities.

“The combination will bring more people, who will meet more people and the activity will organically grow,” he said.

An unfortunate by-product of the venture was that the long-running community-based Tap Gallery, whose premises in East Sydney are under threat of redevelopment, had signed an agreement for the top floor with the previous owners and had lodged a Development Application. But Council claimed that it was entitled to vacant possession and cancelled the agreement, leaving the Gallery with a big pile of bills incurred by the application process.

Mr Duckmanton said he looked forward to working with Council to find a permanent tenant mix.

[Note to Council: can we please have the building some colour other than grey! – Ed.]

by Michael Gormly