The Lansdowne Hotel in Chippendale will be closed for the second time around, after its operators failed to renew their lease.
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In an Instagram post, bar owners Jake Smyth and Kenny Graham, founders of Mary’s Group who revived the venue, announced that their time with Lansdowne Hotel is coming to an end.
“Our lease is due to expire in the coming months, with the landlords deciding to close the Gig Room to build more Hostel accommodation,” Smyth and Graham said in an official statement.
“This was not a part of our vision for the Lansdowne, and as such, we have decided to call time on our custodianship of this iconic live music venue,” the statement reads.
Located on the corner of Broadway and City Road, the art deco hotel is one of the treasured heritage listed sites across Chippendale.
The Mary’s team resurrected The Lansdowne Hotel back in 2017, two years after the venue closed for the first time since the 1930s.
Before the Mary’s Team decided to breathe new life into the venue, a separate group proposed to turn the site into a music school.
However, the proposal has been refused by Council as it allegedly failed to provide adequate evidence that the heritage significance of the Lansdowne Hotel will be conserved and improved.
Eager to bring back live music to the venue, Smyth and Graham gave it a major revamp and kept live music going to the Chippendale pub. They also launched a mini pizzeria on the ground floor and a rooftop bar, Mary’s On Top, where they serve their signature burgers and booze.
The group said they will be working with the landlords to facilitate their remaining shows until the end of April 2022.
Despite their closure, the group promised to support the live music scene and will continue to operate in their three other locations –Newtown, Circular Quay, and CBD Castlereagh.