Froth flies over “beer-barn” wine bar

By Michael Gormly
The froth is flying in Kings Cross over the proposal for a 300-seat German wine bar and restaurant covering the forecourt of the Elan Building, the residential tower straddling the tunnel at the top of William Street. It’s the site of the infamous sculpture known as ‘Poo on stilts’.

Residents are calling it a ‘German beer barn’ and a ‘thinly disguised nightclub’ while the developers accuse residents of spreading ‘a mix of untruths, half truths, and sarcastic innuendo’.

‘This could be the first of many nightclubs in residential Kings Cross Road,’ said Michael Brown, chairman of the Elan’s residential strata. ‘There are approximately 1,600 people living in Kings Cross Road alone.’

‘We knew Bayswater Road was there with all its nightclubs when we bought into the area ‘ we love Kings Cross but this is moving the goalposts.’

‘We have been told by Council that the sculpture Stones against the sky is significant and can be replaced only by another artwork of similar significance,’ said Mr Brown.

‘The forecourt is the muster point for the 268 apartments in the Elan in an evacuation and people use the area most of the day to enjoy a little quiet time in the hustle and bustle of Kings Cross.’

Residents are also concerned about noise from the venue and a bottle-crusher included in the application, as well as air-conditioning exhaust emitting into the parking area. They have organised a barrage of objections lodged with Council.

No buxom wenches

Gottfried Lange, representing the promoters, says Mr Brown originally indicated approval of the project, claiming that Mr Brown’s circular to residents opposing it was ‘an emotive and cynical plea for support’ based solely on a twisted and erroneous presumption.’

‘There will be no buxom wenches in traditional costume carrying twenty large steins of beer here. That is not representative of modern Germany,’ he said.

Mr Brown says Mr Lange originally proposed ‘a small wine bar’, which he had supported. Mr Lange agrees a 300-seat figure was not mentioned at the time ‘ because detailed plans did not exist ‘ but insists he did say the premises would be enlarged.

The proposed venue would extend beyond the now-closed Confucius Restaurant on the site and enclose the whole forecourt terrace, with a timber deck covering the existing steps leading up to the U-shaped terrace. The whole would be topped (except at the entrances) with a glass wall, and the sculpture would be removed.

The promoters say acoustic design will reduce traffic noise to residents and keep any noise from the venue below existing traffic noise levels. Opening hours would be the same as the previous restaurant: 7am till midnight on weekdays and 2am on weekends, with the outside area closing two hours earlier. They say it will concentrate on imported coffees with breakfast in the mornings, serve food all day and would cater only for seated patrons, which would produce a more tranquil atmosphere than stand-up bars.

Mr Langer said the nightclub contention was absurd, ‘since it is common knowledge that most nightclubs are opening just as we are closing.’

And there was plenty of room on the footpaths for an emergency muster point. This was the usual arrangement for other apartment blocks.

A refuge for vagrants

Glebe designer Paul Kelly, whose company designed the proposal, said: ‘The proposed DA is an opportunity to amend what feels like a disowned and neglected space.

‘The current use of the forecourt appears to be under utilised as public space, and it is our understanding the space is has become a refuge for vagrants and undesirable loitering.’

The stoush has alienated two separate strata bodies on the site ‘ Mr Brown’s residential strata and a commercial strata of 11 units at or near street level. It is this strata body that would take the rent from the new wine bar, estimated by Mr Brown at $200,000 a year, which he says would cover their annual levies.

Dean Wrighter, from Clisdell’s which manages both stratas, said the Development Application had really been only floating the idea to get the opinion of residents and businesses. He agreed that in view of the strong reaction it was possible the proposal might be pulled back in size to leave the forecourt steps intact.

The brasserie would be known as Fuchs Weinhaus and Brasserie (pron: ‘fewshes’). It is being promoted by ‘a group of prominent Sydney Lawyers’ who, unhappy with Sydney’s dining out scene and pub culture, proposed a European-style wine-bar with an exclusive wine list, limited beers and no cocktails.

The promoters have offered to meet all the stakeholders and local resident action groups.