This article is from the Australian Property Journal archive
PENTECOSTAL Hillsong Church has acquired Melbourne’s iconic Festival Hall which has hosted Frank Sinatra, Johnny Cash to US presidential candidate Kanye West, saving the landmark venue from being developed into high-rise apartments.
Announcing the $23 million purchase on YouTube, Hillsong pastors Tim and Nicola Douglass said it had been an 18-month roller coaster ride for the church after the deal appeared to have fallen through. The church had been looking for new home in Melbourne for over a year.
“This journey of purchasing this incredible facility started about 18 months ago,” Tim Douglass said. “We just happened to hear about that it was for sale and started inquiring, thinking that it was a long shot. I mean, we’ve been looking for seven or so years and come up empty-handed,”
“The cool thing about purchasing Festival Hall is it’s going to continue to be Festival Hall,” he added. “It has served the people of this city in different events over the years and it’s going to continue to do that,”
“We just get to be the church that purchases it and continues to serve, but also gets to see it be the house of God on Sundays,” Douglass said.
Hillsong founder Brian Houston said the building requires a lot of work and the church plans to renovate it and continue running it as a “community venue”.
The vendors Stadiums Pty Ltd put the property on the market in early 2018, with director Chris Wren saying the viability of live entertainment venues was diminishing, and development was the most likely outcome.
Hillsong Church’s proposal
Stadiums lodged a planning application for a mixed-use development comprising two apartment towers.
But the Heritage Victoria sought to spoil the party by recommending the venue be included on the Victorian Heritage Register.
Heritage Victoria cited its cultural importance to Victoria’s history, and its floor, bleachers, stage, and balcony as specific parts worthy of preservation.
Stadiums’ proposed two towers comprising 179 apartments, 243-bay basement car park, 650 sqm of retail and 700 sqm of commercial office space mixed-use development.
The historic site was home to a boxing and wrestling venue built in 1912, before the current building was constructed by Wren’s bookmaker grandfather John Wren following a fire in 1955, in time to host events of the 1956 Olympic Games.
A number local and international musical acts have performed on its stage, from The Beatles, Johnny Cash, Frank Sinatra, through to Justin Timberlake, Kanye West, Radiohead, Morrissey, Patti Smith, Lorde and Ed Sheeran.
