Abandoned church listed for first time in 40 years
151-153 Brunswick St, Fortitude Valley
AN abandoned inner-city church has hit for market for the first time in 40 years, presenting a divine opportunity for investors looking to convert the former house of God into a heavenly commercial space.
The former Apostolic Church in Fortitude Valley opened in the 1950s, but religious services moved to larger premises at an unknown later date, and the building has mostly sat vacant since.
The 592sq m site at 151-153 Brunswick St is marketed by Harcourts Coastal Commercial directors, Jared Johnson and Lachlan Marshall, and will go under the hammer on December 7.
High-exposure location
Mr Johnson said he hadn’t anticipated the level of inquiry from buyers interested in refurbishing the church building as an alternative office space or corporate showroom.
“It’s a blue-chip asset with a strong development upside due to its high-exposure location in one of the most tightly held commercial precincts in Queensland,” Mr Johnson said.
“We’ve received strong early interest, as expected, from developers looking to capitalise on the land holding, but we’ve also had quite a few inquiries from operators who would like to keep the structure and do a funky internal fitout.”
Mr Johnson said the building’s high ceilings and open interiors allowed for great flexibility in re-design, while the listing also included the adjacent secure carpark.
“A boutique office surrounded by national and multinational businesses in a location close to the CBD is hard to come by, and I know personally I’d rather work in a funky space with high ceilings like this, rather than the standard corporate office building where you can’t open a window,” Mr Johnson said.
Mr Johnson said 30,000 cars pass the church daily
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More than 30,000 cars pass the site daily, and it is zoned for mixed use allowing re-development of up to four storeys, subject to council approval.
It is one of just a handful of Qld churches listed for sale, and the only one in an inner-city location.
The former St Judes War Memorial Church on McIlwraith St, Everton Park is for sale via an expressions of interest campaign.
It occupies a 938sq m site located 10km from the CBD, and was most recently home to the Brisbane Brass Music Association.
The former St Judes War Memorial Church at Everton Park
And a historic property including the original St Patricks Catholic Church built in 1905 is listed for $1.2m at Moore, between Brisbane and Toowoomba.
Located on Linville Rd, the church was refurbished six years ago and operated as a gallery and cafe, while an eclectic residence was also added.
It’s marketed by LJ Hooker agent Leanne Tinney.
