Coogee Bay Hotel Archives - Page 2 of 2

Save Selina’s: Advocates Call to Save Iconic Coogee Venue from Demolition

Advocates of live music have opened a petition to save Selina’s from demolition after the owner of Coogee Bay Hotel, the home of the iconic venue, announced plans for a massive redevelopment.

Chris Cheung, the owner, said that they do not have plans to rebuild Selina’s in the refurbishment. Instead, the venue will be knocked down and replaced with rows of shops, cafes, and a car park if the development application (DA/437/2021) is approved.

However, some Sydney locals are asking Mr Cheung to allocate space for Selina’s in the hotel’s multi-million dollar plans. Nearly 250 people have signed the petition as of press time.

“Some of the $112 million being put into this rebuild [could] be allocated to ensuring there is still a space for live music and culture to continue thriving in the East. Let’s keep the show going on.”

Meanwhile, Shadow Minister For Music And Nighttime Economy John Graham is also in favour of saving Selina’s, which has been around since the 1980s.

“Selina’s is the first test of getting this right or risking losing a Sydney music institution,” Mr Graham said.

“A stage which has hosted so much of Sydney and Australia’s music history – hosting Midnight Oil, Crowded House, the Angels and the Hoodoo Gurus as well as landmark international tours by the likes of Elton John and David Bowie – deserves to be preserved not just as a relic but as a living entertainment venue.”

He said that Coogee Bay Hotel must be granted a Special Entertainment Precincts (SEP) status to preserve the iconic stage. Recently, the NSW Government signed the Liquor Amendment Act 2020, covering incentives for live music venues amidst the COVID-19 pandemic lockdowns.

In May 2021, Enmore Theatre and the strip of Enmore Road in the Inner West became the first Sydney venue to receive SEP status.

Meanwhile, a separate petition was also created to object to the redevelopment plans of the Coogee Bay Hotel. Over 6,500 supported calls for Randwick City Council to turn down the application because this will “change the low-scale, low-key look and feel of the Coogee village centre forever.”

Demolition Planned for Iconic Selina’s Entertainment Centre in Coogee

Did you know that Selina’s, the iconic home for many indie, rock and folk music artists in Sydney will soon disappear as the popular live music venue will be demolished to make way for Coogee Bay Hotel’s nearly $112-million redevelopment?

Proposal for the hotel’s revamp (DA/437/2021) is still under assessment with Randwick City Council but should the development gain approval, Selina’s will be the first to go. In its place will be a supermarket, a new hotel accomodation, and a five-storey residential building with a laneway of restaurants and cafes.

Coogee Bay Hotel owner Christopher Cheung said that there is no plan to reopen Selina’s in the new development, not even for a smaller venue. Mr Cheung said that despite the venue’s history, which hosted concerts from INXS, Foo Fighters, Nirvana, and David Bowie in the 70s through the 90s, they are moving with the times and focusing on safety first, referring to legislations that minimises alcohol consumptions.

Once upon a time, headlining a show at Selina’s gave performers the seal of approval amids the other beer barns spread out across Sydney. The space could hold about 2,500 guests, which was a big deal for musical acts on their way to stardom.

Up-and-coming musicians will no longer have such as a special space if Council signs off on the demolition. However, some residents have thumbed down the proposal due to overdevelopment, that will also block the views and sunlight for a large section of Coogee Bay Road.

Save Coogee Village Petition Launched Against Hotel’s $111.7-Million Revamp

Coogee Bay Hotel has submitted plans for a massive $111.7-million revamp that includes the construction of 60 apartments, a supermarket, and an eat-street section. The plan has drawn mixed reactions, with a group of residents launching a petition to Save Coogee Village from the planned development.

In the Save Coogee Village petition, Coogee MP Marjorie O’Neill said that plans to build 60 new luxury home units with a mega car park could lead to over-development and exceed the building’s height standard for the area. The proposal could also see the residential buildings overshadowing the surrounding areas, including the famous Coogee amphitheater.

“We regard these plans as an atrocious overdevelopment of our seaside suburb and our iconic Coogee Beach precinct,” Ms O’Neill wrote. “The proposed redevelopment of the site would be of a size and scale that would change for the worse the cherished local and casual character of the area.”

As of press time, the petition has logged 382 signatures.

Highlights

Coogee Bay Hotel submitted plans for a massive $111.7-million development to refurbish the hotel and add residential and retail sites.
Coogee MP Marjorie O’Neill launched a petition opposing the plans with nearly 400 signatures from members of the community.
Cinc Hotels, which owns the site, said that the redevelopment was due as Coogee has evolved, especially in this pandemic.

However, Cinc Hotels manager Christopher Cheung said that the redevelopment is due after the hotel’s last major refurbishment 10 years ago. He said since Cinc Hotel bought the site in 1991, Coogee has evolved tremendously and the pandemic lockdowns have highlighted the need for a revamp of the 8,501-square metre site.

Under the plans (DA/437/2021) submitted to Randwick City Council, the mixed-use site will be divided into two sections, separating the hotel areas from the residential and retail areas.

Photo Credit: DA Tracking/Randwick City Council

The five-storey building housing the residential units will be a U-shape structure overlooking the swimming pool at the back of the hotel. A pedestrian link with an eat-street from Arden Street to Coogee Bay Road will be created, opening up to the retail and supermarket area.

In addition to the residential units, at least 10 new hotel rooms will be added to the building whilst 19 rooms will be refurbished, along with the bar and beer garden.

The proposal indicated that the “heritage components of the site and acknowledges the sense of identity Coogee Bay Hotel presents to the community, present and past.”

“The vision is to upgrade an existing heritage institution by providing opportunities and amenities for the community while enhancing the identity of the area.”

Coogee Bay Hotel was first built in 1855.

Must-try Easter Egg Cocktail at Coogee Bay Hotel

Who’s up for some chocolate and sugar-infused Easter Egg Cocktail?

Just imagine its rich and creamy blend of milk and vanilla vodka that is combined with chocolate sauce, créme de cacao liqueur and raspberry Chambord. And to make it even more special, this cocktail is poured into an Easter Egg shaped chocolate instead of a common cocktail class.

It surely sounds tempting isn’t it?

Well, luckily for us the Coogee Bay Hotel will be serving this sweet concoction from 18 April until 22 April 2019 for their Easter Eggstravaganza long weekend celebration. Given its limited availability, make sure to head over at the hotel and give this Easter booze a try!

Easter Eggstravaganza at Coogee Bay Hotel

Celebrate Easter all weekend long at the Coogee Bay Hotel with their giant Easter eggs display at the garden and delicious homemade hot cross buns and special Easter Egg Cocktails for only $17.

If you are up for other fun things to do or try on, here are the other activities lined up for the Easter Eggstravaganza long weekend celebration at the Coogee Bay Hotel:

18 April 2019	Enjoy live music at the Garden. 6:00 p.m. – 9:00 p.m. – Live Band 9:00 p.m. – 1:00 a.m. – Live DJ
19 April 2019 (Good Friday)	3:00 p.m. – 9:00 p.m. – Enjoy live music at the Garden and Coogee Bay Hotel’s scrumptious seafood special. NRL double header hosted by Triple M’s Anthony Maroon and Willie Mason 4:05 p.m. – Bulldog vs Rabbitohs 7:55 p.m. – Storm vs Roosters *Coogee Bay Hotel will be open from midday until 10:00 p.m. only due to statewide licensing restrictions.
20 April 2019	All day live music throughout Coogee Bay Hotel
21 April 2019	All day live music throughout Coogee Bay Hotel 4:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m. – Interact and have some cheeky photos with Coogee Bay’s Easter Bunny
22 April 2019	2:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m. – Enjoy live music at the Garden

Click here to know more information about Cooge Bay’s Easter Eggstravaganza.

The Jezabels Performing Live at Coogee for Free

Get ready for a night of endless summer vibes as indie-rock legend, The Jezabels, hit the road for their Corona SunSets tour across different coastal suburbs in Australia, including Coogee, this March and April 2019!

Hailing from Sydney, The Jezabels have had a long parade of hits and tours since their first release in 2007. They have also played at numerous festivals both local and international including Coachella, Glastonbury, Laneway, and Splendour.

Now after two and a half years, The Jezabels, are back on tour nationwide here in Australia. And they are more pumped up than ever before!

As part of Corona SunSets, The Jezabels will be touring Australia with a series of 20 gigs across 5 states this March and April. Included among the list of gigs is Coogee Bay, NSW.

The Jezabels is scheduled to perform at the Coogee Bay Hotel on the 5th of April 2019. Doors open at 6:00 p.m. and the set will run from 8:00 p.m. until 11:00 p.m.

Aside from The Jezabels, well-known special guests performers will also be touring with the band as part of the Corona Sunsets. These include Portugal. The Man, Cloud Control, The Rubens, Touch Sensitive, and Boo Seeka.

The Jezabels Corona SunSets — *Photo credit: The Jezabels / Facebook*

Click here to view the complete list of Corona SunSets tour dates.

All tours of The Jezabels for Corona SunSets have free admission. However, limited slots are allotted per event. Make sure to book your slot ahead of time to avoid any conflict. This is a free concert you would not want to miss!

Click here to book your slot for The Jezabels at Coogee Bay Hotel.

What are you waiting for? Mark your calendars and reserve your slot now for The Jezabels. Truly, there is no better way to extend your summer experience than by having a fun evening filled with music and buckets of icy cold beer!