After years of speculation about Wollongong's much-loved Regent Theatre, the new owners of the former cinema have lodged plans that they say will help the old venue return it to its hey-day.
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In a proposal currently being considered by Wollongong City Council, the new owners - who have chosen to remain anonymous even in their council application - say they want to transform the Keira Street heritage landmark into something akin to Newtown's Enmore Theatre.
The Enmore is run by Sydney-based Century Venues, which has long been rumoured to be connected to the Regent, with reports that they were looking at the possibility of renovating the Wollongong site emerging more than two years ago.
However, the current Pentecostal church occupants said this sale fell through in 2019.
This February, selling agents MMJ Wollongong announced that the Regent had been sold off-market to a Wollongong and Sydney-based "consortium of professionals that have experience with this type of venue".
The church is due to vacate the premises in February 2021.
According to the new application, which is open for comment until November 26, the proposal involves the removal of the auditorium seating to provide a large standing area, the introduction of a bar at the back of the auditorium and adapting the existing foyer Milk Bars into alcoholic bars.
They would also increase the capacity of current amenities, and make minor alterations to the backstage area of the auditorium.
"This will provide the ability to host live music, plays, dances, lectures, stand-up comedy and film, equipping the venue for a more contemporary form of live entertainment and bringing life back to the Regent Theatre," the documents before the council say.
"A similar precedent to this proposal can be found at the Enmore Theatre in Newtown."
The application notes that the Sydney venue was once a cinema, like the Regent before it was bought by an evangelical church in 2005, and that the Enmore's popularity began to "decline in the 1980's due to the widespread availability of television programs and home cinema".
Instead of being demolished, like many other theatres of its time, the Enmore was "restored and expanded to allow for live performance and in 1985 was re-opened".
"The Enmore Theatre has since thrived and become one of the forefront entertainment venues in NSW," the plans say.
"Although it has undergone alterations and additions, the building has lost little to none of its original heritage significance and remains locally listed."
The Regent is also considered a prime example of a mid-20th century picture theatre, and is on the state heritage register.
According to the plans on exhibition, the new works will not affect heritage features, including the mezzanine lounge designed by renowned modernist designer Marion Hall Best.
If approved, the applicants say the newly restored venue would be able to hold up to 2500 people, and its maximum opening hours would be from 9am-2am seven days a week.
Kate McIlwain
For more than a decade, I've helped the Illawarra Mercury set the news agenda across the region. Currently I'm the paper's health reporter - covering the stories of Illawarra workers and residents in the wake of a global pandemic and at a time where our health systems are stretched to the limit.
For more than a decade, I've helped the Illawarra Mercury set the news agenda across the region. Currently I'm the paper's health reporter - covering the stories of Illawarra workers and residents in the wake of a global pandemic and at a time where our health systems are stretched to the limit.
