Lockout laws claim another victim: Kings Cross Piccadilly Hotel
by Leon Gettler
The radical transformation of Kings Cross in the wake of the New South Wales government’s lockout laws will see the iconic Piccadilly Hotel close down,
The hotel in Victoria Street Potts Point at the heart of the Cross has been sold for $10.22 million and plans are afoot to turn the space into shops and offices.
The heritage-listed Piccadilly was where people would go to get into the popular Soho Bar and Yu nightclub.
According to the Wentworth Courier, developers Phil and Harrison George plan to turn the site into a retail space shops and offices.
Other iconic Kings Cross nightclubs that have been sold include Hugo’s Bar and Lounge in Bayswater Rd, in December. That sold for $4.33 million.
LJ Hooker Commercial Sydney managing director and CEO Warren Duncan put it down to the lockout laws.
He said the laws barring entry into Kings Cross and CBD venues after 1.30am had forced many night club owners to reconsider doing business in the district.
And certainly that was the case with the Piccadilly Hotel, he said.
.“The operators of Soho Bar certainly cited the new provisions as a decision to pursue other ventures,” Mr Duncan told News Corp.
“We’re continuing to see the renewal of the inner city with clubs making way for cafes, shops, and apartments. Potts Point is definitely on the radar of developers who recognise the changing demographics and use of the area.”
Significantly, the Piccadilly Hotel is in the same street where 18-year-old Thomas Kelly died after being punched and knocked to the ground in 2014.
An estimated 8000 people attended the rally on Sunday, gathering first at Belmore Park opposite Sydney’s Central station before marching into the city to protest against the lockouts that were introduced in 2014.
While the government and healthcare community say there has been a decline in violent attacks since the laws were introduced, the music industry and critics are saying it’s killed what were once vibrant entertainment districts. Instead, they say people are now gravitating to areas where the laws don’t apply.
24th February 2016
