Theatre

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The NSW Government has launched an expression of interest process to garner interest from theatre operators in reopening Sydney’s Theatre Royal. 
Situated in the heart of the Sydney CBD, the 1,100-seat theatre designed by Harry Seidler has been closed since 2016.
Its reopening will allow NSW to deliver and host more major touring theatre productions.
Local and international theatre operators or owners are being sought to enter a long-term sub-lease to operate the theatre.
Applicants will be asked to identify any auditorium refurbishment requirements to operate the theatre from 2021.
Minister for Arts Don Harwin hopes reopening the historic Theatre Royal will help make Sydney number one again for musical theatre in Australia.
“With our existing lyric theatres booked out for years, reopening the Theatre Royal will reintroduce a vital part of the city’s cultural history, open up new employment opportunities and provide a boost for the NSW night-time economy,” Mr Harwin said.
“The theatre has an incredible history dating back to the 1820s and its reopening is backed by huge public demand. We are committed to finding the right operator with the right experience to continue its legacy and allow NSW to compete on the global musical theatre stage once more.”
NSW has secured 28 musical and theatre productions for Sydney since 2011. 
The EOI will close at <a href="https://tenders.nsw.gov.au" target="_blank">Wednesday 24 April 2019</a> via the eTendering website.
Sydney's Theatre Royal is part of Sydney's MLC Centre.
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Theatre operator sought to re-open Sydney's Theatre Royal

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The film director behind Mad Max and Babe, George Miller, has secured $19.8 million for the historic art deco The Metro theatre in Sydney's Potts Point which was listed with $20 million plus hopes.
ASX-listed Abacus Property Group has emerged as the buyer of one of Sydney's oldest cinemas, the historic Metro Theatre in Potts Point, but have not revealed their intentions.
Local residents had hoped it would be bought by the Sydney City Council, but Clover Moore ruled out the acquisition amid her battle with rival councillors who'd advocated the move.
It has been Miller's headquarters for more than three decades, but now redundant given his relocation to Fox Studios.
It was built in 1939 as <a href="https://www.propertyobserver.com.au/https://dictionaryofsydney.org/media/5557" target="_blank">The Minerva Theatre</a> opening with a production of Idiot's Delight. Sam Hood took photos.
Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer purchased the building in 1950 and converted to a movie theatre, renaming it the Metro Cinema with stars such as Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton attending premieres.
Then as a theatre it hosted performances including the 1970s musical Hair by Harry M. Miller.
<img src="https://www.afr.com/content/dam/images/g/y/x/8/m/p/image.imgtype.afrArticleInline.620x0.png/1507526409727.jpg" alt="The Metro, Potts Point, Sydney." width="620" data-src="https://www.afr.com/content/dam/images/g/y/x/8/m/p/image.imgtype.afrArticleInline.620x0.png/1507526409727.jpg">
The 2300-square-metre property at 30 Orwell Street was on the market for the first time in 35 years, but had been available for lease.
Miller had struggled with maximising its usage and potential in recent years, with various concepts floated but not implemented.
He was seeking $25 million plus at one stage for its sale.
<img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dz9xllyip/image/fetch/c_scale,w_580,q_auto:good/https://s3-ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/po.images/2017/10/10/Minerva2.jpg" alt="">
In 2018, Liberal councillor Christine Forster put a motion to the council to buy the property as a town hall, similar to those in Glebe and Balmain, and could be used for film festivals, as a theatre, arts venue, function centre, bike hub, local museum and for exhibitions and meetings.
“The Metro represents a huge opportunity for the local community as it has so much heritage value and is so important to the area,” she said.
“There’s a precedent too for something like this, when we spent $15 million on buying the Tabernacle in Darlinghurst and converted it into the Eternity Playhouse.
“It would be terrific to put it into public hands for community use.”
Team Clover, comprising of councillors Jess, Scully, Philip Thalis, Robert Kok and Jess Miller voted against an outright purchase of the Metro.
Previously a spokesperson for the Lord Mayor had advised “after corresponding with the local community late last year, Lord Mayor Clover Moore forwarded the suggestion that the City of Sydney should purchase the Metro Theatre in Potts Point to City staff for consideration”.
Councillor Jess Scully, from Team Clover, sent an email to a local resident passing the buck for any purchase to the State Government.
City Hub reported she said “the Metro Theatre should also be considered within the broader context of the NSW Government cultural infrastructure strategy”.
The local resident Warren Fahey noted at the time that "we do feel the City has turned its back on us" with Potts Point a "disenfranchised part of the City of Sydney".
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George Miller sells art deco Metro theatre in Potts Point to Abacus

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A 50 year old suburban Melbourne drive-in theatre - one of the last - has been sold for around $12.5 million, exceeding its price expectations of $11 million-plus.
Coburg Drive-In located at <a href="https://www.realcommercial.com.au/property-industrial+warehouse-vic-coburg+north-502955310" target="_blank">155 Newlands Road, Coburg North</a> is a 8.16ha site.
The owner of the drive-in — Village Roadshow Theatres Pty Ltd, a subsidiary of the ASX-listed Village Roadshow Limited — will lease it back for an initial 10-year term on a triple-net basis.
It has been bought by Charter Hall.
The site was marketed as "the last essentially undeveloped parcel of significant scale in Melbourne’s inner north.”
Located on Newlands Road, Coburg North, the drive-in has been operating since 1965 and has three screens — one each on the south-western, north-western and north-eastern points of the site.
At 33m wide each and overlooking an asphalt viewing area of 36,000sqm, the screens are up for debate as the biggest in the southern hemisphere.
<img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dz9xllyip/image/fetch/c_scale,w_580,q_auto:good/https://s3-ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/po.images/2018/9/14/Coburg%202.jpg" alt="">
A single-level retro-style diner and children’s playground are located centrally and the drive-in's ticket booth — topped by an old yellow Holden — is a local landmark.
Victorian Heritage describes it as “one of three (drive-ins) that remain in operation in Victoria out of approximately 60 at the height of drive-in popularity”.
 
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1960s suburban Melbourne, Coburg drive-in theatre sold for $12.5 million

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A 50 year old suburban Melbourne drive-in theatre is on the market through JLL with price expectations of $11 million-plus.
Coburg Drive-In located at <a href="https://www.realcommercial.com.au/property-industrial+warehouse-vic-coburg+north-502955310" target="_blank">155 Newlands Road, Coburg North</a> is being offered via public tender by JLL’s Tony Iuliano, Adrian Rowse and Brad Esler.
It is set on a 8.16ha site.
“The owner of the drive-in — Village Roadshow Theatres Pty Ltd, a subsidiary of the ASX-listed Village Roadshow Limited — will lease it back for an initial 10-year term on a triple-net basis,” Mr Iuliano said.
He said the site represents "the last essentially undeveloped parcel of significant scale in Melbourne’s inner north.”
Located on Newlands Road, Coburg North, the drive-in has been operating since 1965 and has three screens — one each on the south-western, north-western and north-eastern points of the site.
At 33m wide each and overlooking an asphalt viewing area of 36,000sqm, the screens are up for debate as the biggest in the southern hemisphere.
<img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dz9xllyip/image/fetch/c_scale,w_580,q_auto:good/https://s3-ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/po.images/2018/9/14/Coburg%202.jpg" alt="">
A single-level retro-style diner and children’s playground are located centrally and the drive-in's ticket booth — topped by an old yellow Holden — is a local landmark.
Mr Iuliano said there had already been overwhelming interest in the site since the marketing campaign was launched on September 13. Most inquiries were coming from prospective buyers nationally.
"Given the high underlying land value component, the sale price could go a lot higher,” he said.
Mr Rowse said “There are plenty of future options for the Industrial 1-zoned site and it’s also likely to suit an e-commerce user, subject to council approval."
The property benefits has access to major road infrastructure, including the Western and Metropolitan ring roads, as well as Melbourne’s CBD, Port of Melbourne and Essendon and Melbourne airports.
The public tender period for <a href="https://www.realcommercial.com.au/property-industrial+warehouse-vic-coburg+north-502955310" target="_blank">155 Newlands Road, Coburg North</a>, closes at 4pm on Wednesday, October 17, 2018.
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1960s suburban Melbourne, Coburg drive-in theatre for sale

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<div class="cq-article-content-paras section">
The film director behind Mad Max and Babe, George Miller, has listed the historic art deco The Metro theatre in Sydney's Potts Point with $20 million plus hopes.
It has been his headquarters for more than three decades, but now redundant given his relocation to Fox Studios.
It was built in 1939 as <a href="https://www.propertyobserver.com.au/https://dictionaryofsydney.org/media/5557" target="_blank">The Minerva Theatre</a> opening with a production of Idiot's Delight. Sam Hood took photos.
Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer purchased the building in 1950 and converted to a movie theatre, renaming it the Metro Cinema with stars such as Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton attending premieres.
Then as a theatre it hosted performances including the 1970s musical Hair by Harry M. Miller.
</div>
<div class="cq-article-content-media section"><img class="lazy620x0" src="https://www.afr.com/content/dam/images/g/y/x/8/m/p/image.imgtype.afrArticleInline.620x0.png/1507526409727.jpg" alt="The Metro, Potts Point, Sydney." width="620" data-src="https://www.afr.com/content/dam/images/g/y/x/8/m/p/image.imgtype.afrArticleInline.620x0.png/1507526409727.jpg"></div>
<div class="cq-article-content-media section"> </div>
<div class="cq-article-content-media section">The 2300-square-metre property at 30 Orwell Street is on the market for the first time in 35 years, but has been available for lease.</div>
<div class="cq-article-content-media section"> </div>
<div class="cq-article-content-media section">Miller had struggled with maximising its usage and potential in recent years, with various concepts floated but not implemented.</div>
<div class="cq-article-content-media section"> </div>
<div class="cq-article-content-media section">He was seeking $25 million plus at one stage for its sale.</div>
<div class="cq-article-content-media section"> </div>
<div class="cq-article-content-media section">It is likely to appeal to owner-occupiers, boutique hotel operators, and specialised developers with heritage expertise, Fairfax Media reported.</div>
<div class="cq-article-content-media section"> </div>
<div class="cq-article-content-media section"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dz9xllyip/image/fetch/c_scale,w_580,q_auto:good/https://s3-ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/po.images/2017/10/10/Minerva2.jpg" alt=""></div>
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George Miller lists Art Deco Metro theatre in Potts Point

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Hobart's Theatre Royal Hotel, one of the oldest pubs in Australia, has been bought by the University of Tasmania for $1.7 million.
The university snapped up the two-storey hotel, built in 1834 by Peter Degraves, founder of Cascade Brewery last week at Knight Frank auction.
The pub is next to the Theatre Royal and on the other side, the university has a $90 million arts hub.
In central Hobart is a 400-bed student accommodation facility on Melville Street, part of the development strategy by vice-chancellor Professor Peter Rathjen to immerse the university into the daily life of the city.
"In the great university cities of the world, the campus is right in the heart of city, providing life, energy and character," Professor Rathjen told AFR Weekend.
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