Cranker saved from demolition under historic deal and legislation
The Crown & Anchor hotel will be guaranteed a long-term future as a pub and live music venue under a landmark agreement between the state government and the developer which wanted to build a student housing tower on the site – but the compromise deal comes at a cost.
An estimated 2000 people marched through the city to Parliament House on Sunday afternoon, in the second community rally to protest plans by Singapore developer Wee Hur Holdings Ltd to demolish the historic East End hotel for a 19-storey student housing block.
InDaily reported on Thursday that Premier Peter Malinauskas and government officials had been holding behind the scenes talks with the developer in an effort to broker a compromise which would save the 1853 pub, which is under provisional heritage protection while potential State Heritage Listing is considered. News of an imminent deal was first broken by FIVEaa on Thursday morning.
After rally warm-up speeches today at Victoria Square, Save The Cranker campaign organisers went to the Premier’s State Administration Centre office nearby to meet him and the developer’s representatives.
The rally then made its way down King William St to Parliament House, led by a truck with a live band playing on the back.
The Cranker Supergroup band plays aboard a truck as it travels down King William St. Photo: Helen Karakulak/InDaily
After the procession arrived at Parliament House, Premier Malinauskas climbed aboard the truck to announce the Cranker deal, which he said was the result of the intensive community campaign and public backlash prompted by the development bid in March.
Premier Peter Malinauskas with Save The Cranker chair Evan Moroney at Parliament House. Photo: Helen Karakulak/InDaily
Under the deal, the state government will introduce “special-purpose legislation to secure the long-term future of the Crown and Anchor Hotel as a live music venue and provide ongoing protection for key live music pubs in the City of Adelaide against noise complaints from future residents”.
The 19-storey student housing block originally proposed aimed to gut the Crown & Anchor and leave just a facade. Image: Plan SA
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“The agreement will see the developer abandon plans to demolish all but the façade of the live music hotel on Grenfell Street to build a 19-storey student accommodation building,” a statement said.
However, the tradeoff to preserve the pub will see a significant change to the developer’s original bid as well as the planning regime to assess it, with the state government fast-tracking the usual assessment process.
And while the Crown & Anchor hotel will be preserved, popular neighbouring venues Roxie’s and Chateau Apollo will be lost.
“The State Government will introduce special purpose legislation to permit the developer to build up to 29-storeys on the site adjoining the hotel, with the State Commission Assessment Panel (SCAP) to assess the application within 10 business days of the development application being lodged,” the statement said.
“Subject to approval, Wee Hur will invest a further $150 million in the development to provide safe and secure accommodation to students in higher education, while preserving the Crown and Anchor operation as a hotel.
‘The bill – to be introduced into State Parliament this month – will ensure that the Crown and Anchor Hotel cannot be demolished, that it cannot be built over, and that its current land use as a hotel and live music venue will be preserved.”
Under the deal, Wee Hur Holdings Ltd will be allowed to partially demolish and restore the pub’s live music room for soundproofing. The pub will have to close down for a lengthy period during this time, and to allow the neighbouring student housing tower to be built.
Photo: Tony Lewis/InDaily
“However, the Development Approval will limit any closure period to a maximum of two years,” the government said, adding the hotel’s current operator will be given first right of return to the venue when works are completed.
“To further enshrine Adelaide’s reputation as UNESCO’s City of Music, the State Government will also amend planning laws to protect significant live music pubs in the City of Adelaide area from neighbour complaints,” the statement said.
“The bill will require the installation of noise attenuation and or acoustic treatments on future developments built alongside key live music venues.”
Speaking to the crowd gathered on the steps of Parliament House, Premier Malinauskas said: “Together, we’ve saved the Cranker.
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Premier Peter Malinauskas announces the deal at Parliament House. Photo: Helen Karakulak/InDaily
“This is a good example of democracy at work,” he said.
“Wee Hur investing tens of millions of dollars into building a brand-new student accommodation facility, which we desperately need, but at the same time, preserving the Crown & Anchor Hotel, which is a pretty key cultural institution, particularly for live music within our city.
“The other element, of course, is trying to provide more protection for live music in our city, beyond just the Cranker.
“Our bill will do that by establishing clear rules that make it clear, if you want to develop a site next to a pub that plays live music, then you have to factor in there will be live music in that venue for a long time to come.
Photo: David Simmons/InDaily.
“We think this is long overdue, and we can get this legislation into parliament at the very next sitting week. So the submission will be in cabinet tomorrow, the legislation will be in parliament the following week, and of course, we want to get it passed in an expedited way so we can get on with building the student accommodation we definitely require.”
Wee Hur Australia General Manager Peter Scott said Adelaide was currently experiencing a shortage in private rentals, and its development to supply student-only accommodation will “provide much needed housing capacity to support higher education whilst providing further relief to the city’s private rental market”.
“We have agreed to a range of mitigation measures at the Crown and Anchor site to preserve its operation as a hotel and music venue and look forward to working with the South Australian Government to create a facility that South Australians can be proud of,” he said.
Save the Cranker Chair Evan Moroney said the campaign thanked the government for its efforts.
“We’ve been happy to work collaboratively with all parts of government in support of this win and are grateful to them for responding to our call to action,” he said.
Moroney said the Save the Cranker group planned to rebrand to Music Culture Adelaide, and continue their work supporting the local live music scene and holding the government to account following this decision.
“We’re going to continue on supporting our community and our culture and very much ensuring through that transition period when the pub is going to be shut that we’re working with all parties to ensure that there’s still somewhere to go to be able to enjoy some great live music, have a beer with your friends and not be stuck at home looking at a screen, getting out and being part of the community, really being a part of it,” he said.
Save the Cranker board member Patrick Maher said that while the fight to save the pub had been won, “our work is not finished”.
“We will explore ways of working with others to protect and support the continuity of the Cranker’s culture and community through this phase of transition,” he said.
“We will also act as watchdogs over the changes to the Cranker.”
