After years of objection a $1.2 million revitalisation project at a historic Brisbane landmark is complete.
On Thursday, the heritage-listed Engine Room at Teneriffe re-opened its doors for the first time as a cafe.
Brisbane City Council's 2014 proposal to repurpose the then-disused riverfront building, built between 1917 and 1927, to become a cafe was immediately met with objection from residents.
The council had proposed a $1.2 million renovation of the heritage building on Macquarie Street to transform the vacant former engine room into a cafe and a public toilet facility.
The building, now heritage listed, had been used to hold equipment as part of the wool industry.
The development application for this project was met with 402 submissions - an overwhelming 399 of these were objecting to the proposal on several grounds including that the existing park amenity and heritage aspects would be destroyed,Â
Despite the objection, council approved the development.
The objecting residents then funded an unsuccessful appeal in the Planning and Environment Court.
Following a lengthy appeals process, in 2016 the council was ready to start the restoration and find a suitable tenant for the space.
Lord Mayor Graham Quirk said council would seek a "social enterprise" to run the cafe.
This decision was too met by objection when it was revealed the chosen operator, the Uniting Hands Foundation, was largely unknown and at the time had an incomplete website.
The foundation offered the council base rent of $35,000 per annum, plus percentage rent of 2 per cent of sales over $800,000, 3 per cent of sales over $1 million and 5 per cent of sales over $1.5 million.
They were also required to donate a minimum 10 per cent of profits to charity.
There was significant resident objection to this project - but today the heritage-listed Engine Room opened. pic.twitter.com/uKfSFmSW2v
— Ruth McCosker (@RuthMcCosker) June 8, 2017
On Thursday some of the objecting residents were spotted watching on from afar as the Lord Mayor shook the hand of Uniting Hands Foundation founder Hom Pyashi to congratulate him on opening the Engine Room Cafe.
Cr Quirk said despite a lengthy appeals process a very good product had been created.
"We resolved all of those issues I believe and so we've gotten now a great operating facility I think often at the end of the day there is fear of the unknown in any type of development you do," he said.
Mr Pyashi said the foundation had already started working with charities for homeless people and would soon offer cooking classess and training at the cafe.
The Engine Room Cafe is open 7am-4pm seven days a week.
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