Institution on the market
North Queensland Club looks for smaller digs with existing building up for sale
A CBD building will be put up for sale after almost half a century of invaluable service as a networking hub.
Since it was built in 1967, the North Queensland Club building (146 Denham St) has become a Townsville institution, providing an exclusive venue for the professional, business, literary and rural communities of North Queensland.
Regarded as the region’s premier private membership club, the not-for-profit North Queensland Club was founded 125 years ago as a haven for literary and professional gentlemen, before expanding its membership to include women in 1996.
Perched on an elevated 1495sq m block, the spacious building boasts 485sq m of floor space, 34 highly prized parking spaces, a private bar, boardroom, lounge area, dining and entertaining facilities, including a restaurant.
After recognising the building was too big for its membership, North Queensland Club president Liz Buckley said they began searching for an appropriately sized alternative to lease in the CBD.
“The club’s not about bricks and mortar, it’s about the people in it,” Ms Buckley said.
“We only generally use half of it (so) we’re changing and evolving, moving to somewhere that’s a bit smaller and will give the members more benefits.
“As long as it still holds 40 to 50 people, which our lunches are, if we do anything bigger we can always outsource.”
She hoped the move to somewhere “smaller and cosier could attract more members”.
“We haven’t even advertised it yet and people are already wanting to have a look.”
Ray White Commercial Townsville director Troy Townsend said a marketing campaign would be launched on Wednesday seeking expressions of interest for the purchase of the property.
“They’ve certainly had this position for a very long time and it’s a very good opportunity for the next owner to do something great with the place,” Mr Townsend said.
“It’s simply a submit-anoffer type of campaign. It is such a unique building that we really need to leave it to the market to decide.
“It’s a concrete structure that could quite easily be built in underneath, with a huge ratio of carparking to the square metreage of the building.
“It doesn’t have to be a function centre, it could be converted to office, medical, or accommodation-type uses.”