Imperial gets court nod
The Land and Environment Court has granted the Imperial Hotel a 12-month trial for more than 700 patrons on a Friday and Saturday night.
The ruling, handed down this morning (Wednesday), brings to an end a long-running court battle between Imperial owner Shadd Danesi and the City of Sydney.
Commissioner Brown approved an additional 236 patrons, increasing total patronage allowed into entertainment areas within the hotel to 778 for Friday and Saturday nights only as part of a 12-month trial. On other nights throughout the week the City’s ruling of 442 will apply to these areas.
The city had limited Danesi to a maximum 400-plus patrons at the refurbished Erskineville Rd hotel.
Danesi has already publicly stated he intends on opening the Imperial next month – with or without the increase in numbers.
A City of Sydney spokesperson said, “the City had previously approved 442 patrons in all entertainment areas in an attempt to limit the hotel’s impact on nearby residents. The City’s concerns were based on noise and anti-social behaviour.”
“The limit handed down by the court does not apply to the number of patrons in the Public Bar or the Gaming Room as they are not deemed to be entertainment areas under planning laws. Therefore the total patron numbers for the entire venue is up to 1500 people at any one time.”
As part of the approved 12-month trial, the Court imposed a Plan of Management which includes;
- progressive shutting down of bars to provide for staggered departures;
- discouraging large groups leaving at once;
- having security direct patrons to the taxi stand and bus pick-up point, with security guards at each of these points;
- and a reduction in queuing on the footpath and consequent reduction in potential noise impacts.
The City refused the application for increased patron numbers in entertainment areas in November 2008 and the owner appealed to the Court in June 2009.
The outside looks terrible comment was nothing to do with heritage rules – I haven’t walked past recently but the paintwork ,etc was in a dreadful state , & you can’t tell me they can’t repaint a heritage building (within the correct colour scheme of course) . I think this would be on the list before opening anyhow , would be too embarrasing as the main headline news pics would all be if the outside. Stay tuned I guess.
Toby, you’re awesome. I love people who have the confidence to sprout such utterly moronic diatribe without shame!! It’s the diversity of our community that makes it so cool! More power to you man!
Of course you happen to be wrong but you go girl!!
Aquila…i would rather see the roof occupied by the large and flabby butt cheeks of Shad Danesi…at least they are heritage listed !
LMFAO Aquila! Also to the detractors wait til you see the refurb and the eat your words. What Shad has achieved in the Impy is amazing!
Fantastic… Definitely be worth the wait, good to see someone had the balls to fight the bureaucratic nonsense! Oh and did no one notice that the reason that the Stilletto is not allowed on the Imperial Roof top is because there is absolutely, positively no room left there as it is already occupied by 2 HUGE BUTT CHEEKS owned by Clover Moore, erected by those morons that voted her in!
“I am yet to see ANYWHERE in Sydney that has that type of pull.”
Yep, clearly Toby hasn’t seen the queues to venues in Darlinghurst, despite living there.
@tony,
“I am yet to see ANYWHERE in Sydney that has that type of pull.”
Um I think people queue outside venues on busy nights in your neighborhood, Darlinghurst. If that were to happen on a busy night outside the Imperial there really is a public safety issue due to the narrow sidewalk on either side of a narrow public road, mixed with the presence of possibly intoxicated people.
The court is allowing a trial for one year, so if the venue has problems associated with overfilling on busy nights, the court has left an avenue for this to be re-addressed (apart from the normal reviews which licenses premises undergo).
For many years the Imperial Hotel was been a major contributor to the sense of community for GBTLQ people in Sydney, and has put on many fund raising events to raise much needed funds for other community organizations – I hope they will take up that role again.
well its about time commonsense prevailed. The SCC has fought the rebirth at every turn. Pity they also didn’t allow the “slipper ontop of the pub. Congrats Shad
About bloody time! I moved to Erko just as The Imperial closed down. Not long after the Newtown closed too… Nowhere gay to go.
As for the complaining residents, the pub has been there longer than any of them, so if they don’t like it, bad luck!
Im with you cambo just glad it is finally happening and oxford street isnt our only option anymore
The outside of the venue still looks terrible- looks nowhere near like opening in a matter of weeks. Shad’s final “excuse” for not opening has now been removed- it’s time for him to put up or shut up. Open in November, no more delays, no more excuses.
(As much as I have my hopes up about the opening, I can shake the feeling though, that we’ll hear some new statement saying it has been delayed again to next year just before Mardi Gras, or some other similar statement.)
Editor’s Note: David, we understand heritage restrictions prevent any significant changes to the exterior of the building. However, having had a tour of the interior we can assure you it is significantly larger and different to the venue pre the refurb.
Well it’s about FUCKING time! Finally somewhere local to go…I’ll be lining up for sure! Woohoo!!!
Yay! Will be great to finally have the old girl back. I predict she shall be “the Venue” for summer 2009/10. Who knows, this may even mark the beginning of a renaissance for Sydney’s tired gay scene.
How much is Imperial going to charge per entry? $25?
great news! Now we just need the stilleto and the party will begin…
Woo-hoo! I can’t wait to come back to my hometown for the opening!!
That’s good news! It’s very possible he will get those numbers, what with all the other gay venues closing down. A lot of us inner-westies just haven’t really gone out much since Impy & the Newtown closed, so I reckon a lot of people in hibernation will come out of the woodwork. For those whiners who don’t like the court decision, all I can say is – you chose to buy/rent there,so sucked in.
Toby has obviously been a dyed in the wool Darlo queen and never been to The Imperial during it’s existence. Time to get yer old bones out and about lovey!
Toby, thank you for helping me understand why a minority are so pessimistic about the Imperial reopening – they have never been there. If you had, you’d know that it was regularly packed to bursting on Friday and Saturday nights and could certainly have used space for another couple of hundred patrons – and this before several of the competition closed in the past few years.
My local is coming back. Better people being in the venue than outside, but at the end of the day I just want somewhere gay to go in Newtown/Erko as I prefer not to go to Oxford St.
This is fantastic news for our gay community! – Cant wait for the opening!!!
Once again the Land and Environment court has fallen on the side of a business owner and developer. Who didn’t see that coming?
Shadd is DREAMING if he thinks he can get those sort of numbers in the Hotel past the initial interest of it’s reopening. His consistent bleating that hundreds of people will be forced to line up on the streets is ludicrous!! I am yet to see ANYWHERE in Sydney that has that type of pull.
Plus the City Council was applying the same person per square metre safety policy that every other business is required to follow.
Amen, Malcolm.
Halle-fucking-lujah