New chapter for landmark Broadway pub

BY MICK ROBERTS

The popular student haunt, the Abercrombie Hotel on Broadway, will be refurbished and restored as a symbolic tribute to the old Carlton United brewery site.
The $2 billion redevelopment of the former brewery site into residential apartments, retail and community space will include the renovation of the former Australian Hotel, on the corner of Broadway and Abercrombie Street.
According to the developer the ageing pub’s transformation will be carried out with fitting respect and homage to the historic function it has played in the fabric of student life.
The brewery has stood dry since it was closed in 2005, but now, its old, hops-stained walls are coming down and making way for a clean, green urban precinct.
The pub is just one of the site’s historic structures to be retained and incorporated into the design. Thirty-three heritage items, including the old brewery chimney, are protected and will remain as features in the new precinct.
Under a pilot program managed by the Green Building Council of Australia, developer Fraser’s Australia is expected to complete the mixed-use development of apartments, offices, shops, restaurants and community services in about eight years.
Chief Executive Officer of Fraser’s Property Dr Stanley Quek said the site will have a revolutionary effect on Sydney’s southern gateway.
‘We are working to create a people-centred urban quarter which marries world-class architecture with the latest sustainability technologies,’ he said.
‘This is a rare opportunity to design from the ground up, on a grand scale, with the future of Sydney in mind.’