Imperial back in court
The Imperial Hotel’s long-awaited reopening in six weeks is under threat after Shadd Danesi yesterday launched fresh court action.
In the midst of a recession Danesi said he had no choice but to file court papers against the City of Sydney this week over what will be a half-empty dance floor.
He is seeking a further increase on the 442 patrons approved by the council last year, claiming the downstairs area was built to fit more than 500 patrons by itself, and refuting reports he was trying to cram people in.
It would be better for everyone if those 300 people were inside, out of the rain and off the street, he told Sydney Star Observer.
In what looks like the greatest depression since the 1920s, Council is harming the venue. I’m just trying to run a small business.
But the City of Sydney is standing by its decision to limit the Imperial’s patron numbers.
The City conducted a comprehensive and thorough assessment of a development application for internal alterations and to increase the patron capacity of the Imperial Hotel, a City spokesperson said.
The premises already had restrictions on patron numbers from a previous Land and Environment court decision and the City resolved to allow an increase in patron capacity from 306 to 442 people consistent with the previous court judgement.
The City’s decision was based on balancing the need to ensure this iconic gay venue continues to thrive with the need to protect residential amenity, and patron safety particularly when people arrived at or left the premises.
Danesi has previously warned of potential street violence if patrons were left queueing outside.
The venue’s front bar does not have an entertainment licence and has no restriction on numbers.
A hearing date before the Land and Environment Court is yet to be set, but Danesi anticipated the venue would still open within six weeks.
please do an external makeover before reopening…it looks shite atm…even if just a paint-job
btw – Broadway 202 is now open at the end of City Rd next to the Landsdowne. Nightclub/dance club and they have a Lesbian night (Fridays) and a Gay night (Sundays)…
I never knew or saw the old Imperial…
I’ve been waiting forever for it to ‘re-open’ to understand what all the fuss is about…. however reading the latest about the capacity limits, I agree with most, get the place open ASAP then start arguing… most of Sydney and the wider Aussie Gay Community are bored waiting…It’s likely to struggle to get the numbers back now…
unless of course the Imperial has staff trained to smile and be polite (unlike Palms)? and they employ cleaners for the venue… Unlike the vile dirty venues at Oxford Street!
Equally reading childish and immature rants about ‘don’t let the straights in’ etc…. is disappointing to say the least! Who care’s if people are gay or straight…. We should be aiming to intergrate and not segregate… Come Lesibians, Come Gays, come one come all…. If we won’t segregation… then the place can always run ‘men only’/’dyke only’ nights from time to time…. Personally I’d rather go to a bar full of intelligent, polite, attractive well dressed fashionable people, something I see less and less in the gay community, which is becoming a characatuer of itself… stuck up, dated, bitchy, unwashed, overweight & segregated
I’m over it. Wouldn’t bother going there even if it does reopen soon. Lost all community support and most people are over the wait. Shame as it used to be a fun venue. Just shows what greed gets you……nothing.
i hope he still has the juke box it was my favorite
part of the impy if he keeps the doors shut much longer more bars such as broadway 202 will open
I agree with Alex Day. Some of these venues should re open as a Convenience Store, at least youd have more choices to go grocery shopping.
A half empty dance floor? Because its a sign of the times where theres rude staff and unfriendliness! Also the Depression was in the 1930s not the 1920s, “Hello!”
Does anyone really care anymore?
The “leaked” photos of the refurbished interior look no different to the old venue (with the exception of a lick of paint).
The exterior makes the place look like a dump – The Wesley Mission for the Homeless looks more enticing!
Colin, Revesby Workers Club auditorium is at least 3 or 4 times the size of the entire Imperial Hotel and has a lot more fire exits, however it only has a limit of 1000.
James – Here we go again, I’ve read you’re rants/posts on previous articles – excersising/fluanting your hetro ego everywhere etc your just bummed that you are the minority here, what is with the straight guys with that?? if there not the dominant characters then something MUST have to be done.
Congratulations
P.S You BORE me/us.
[Insert you’re pointless “comeback” remarks in this space]
P.S : My arguments (and many others who share the opinion) are based on how our pubs/clubs/area’s have been spoiled by the majority – something you will never understand and I wont go into detail as youre just not worth it.
Obviously, Colin, because one of the ‘nosey people’ took pictures and posted them online. But I agree, open it and go to court later if there’s a problem with the numbers.
ala Monty Python and the Holy Grail, “GET ON WITH IT!”
Damn it! Just open the damn place, we are SICK of waiting, this just drags on and on…. I can’t believe that he hasn’t got the simple business accumen to see that opening it and getting it running will provide the best possible evidence of anything he wants, rather than dragging this out and playing the “take my ball, and go home” approach, which will achieve nothing at all, and finally alienate the last of the loyal crowd that had been anticipating the openning this or next weekend, as promised (the nth promise in a row, now the nth promise in a row, broken!)
Its childish, smacks of being greedy, and not smart. The argument about patrons lining up outside, being better indoors is unconvincing and contrived specifically to support allowing an increased licence. It assumes that there is a specific number of people that want to come to the venue, and that number just happens to be nearer 700 than 400, thus an overflow if the licence isn’t increased! Absurd, if its popular, there will always be an overflow, but that overflow will not get bigger the smaller the licence is! It is self limiting, if there is a big queue, new arrivals simply don’t join the queue and go elsewhere. You will end up with exactly the same sized queue whether the licence is 400 or 700.
And to those who seem to think that 400 means “sardines”, your kidding yourselves! That venue is more than large enough for 700+ people and still be perfectly comfortable! And the person that said its nowhere near finished from the photos, try actually going in the place! Its basically done – if Shadd is around at the time, he’ll probably take you for a tour, he’s done it before with nosey people sticking their head in the door!
I hope it still has the lingering puke smell …oh how i miss it.
Well,I only hope that (small ask) the new barman or woman serving ,is well trained to at least say a very simple “thank you” or manage a smile ,in this push and shove, of big city life.(away from the Oxford St venues).
Chris – nice discriminatory comment there mate. Maybe I don’t want the place to be full of cranky poofs like you.
I walk past this dump everyday and I see that he’s got the early stages of the poker machine section almost complete. May be’d have more room for people if he didn’t put gambling machines inside.
I don’t mind straight people as long as they are hot !! and finger me on the pool table like old times.
I just dont want the people who go there to be straight.
Lets hope that many of the new patrons will actually spend money at the venue.
ie: buy drinks, not huddle in groups waiting to be ‘picked up’ and treated.
usual stoty, cheap bastards got to venues expecting something decent, contribute nothing other that take up space, then complain when it closes.
Patronage alone doers not make a business run.
just trying to suck as mush money out of people-gay men of today dont go to gay bars anymore to be rip off.
So long as the juke box plays show tunes I will be a happy girl.
I don’t care as long as the drink prices don’t go up to pay for all this
I’ve seen recent photos of the interior and there’s no way it will be opening soon.
It will need to be renovated again before it opens as it will be so out dated. Face it he has no money and can’t afford to open it!
GREED. 442 people are more than enough to keep Mr. Danesi fed during the ‘worst recession’ since the 20’s. How much money is he losing going to and from court anyways.
Just re-open. By the time it does re-open the fickle and jaded Sydney Scene may well be over the wait, and long for the old IMPY.
It’s is just plain and simple GREED.
It’s just greed.
Danesi is using whatever tactics he can to get his way, including the threat of violent (they would have to be str8) patrons.
500 sardines? No thanks. There are plenty of other venues and this place has done nothing to attract any community loyalty.
Surely 442 is enough people.
The pub is not that big. I dunno about anyone else, but I’d hate to be the 442nd person to be crammd into the place.
There wouldn’t be to many times when there’d be any more wanting to get in anyway.
I’ve walked past and regularly seen the barman there all alone, a few times when I’ve been the only patron there, and quite often when numbers have not reached double figures.
For god sake either open the pub or sell it off, pull it down and turn it into an ALDI store.
Oh LORD
Wasnt there an article like 3-4 weeks ago stating that the Imperial will be opening in 6 weeks? This is pathetic.
Maybe it’s time to just go ahead and reopen the damn place. Once it’s operating, Danesi will be in a stronger position to go back to court if he can prove he’s turning away hundreds of people, and if huge crowds do start queuing down Erskineville Rd local residents will soon take notice.
But all this dithering only succeeds in putting off his core customers.