Society City is a second hand bookstore, co-working and community events space at 274 Crown Street and is struggling to find the cash to stay open.

Read more: Eurovision royalty bringing glitz and glamour to Wollongong

Spokesperson Lore White said the space also supports many other community groups such as the Unemployed Workers Union and Protect Our Water Alliance, who would be negatively impacted if they were forced to close.

Currently the group is running a fundraiser through Chuffed.org to pay the $3000 in back rent owed, but their goal is for more donations to ensure their survival.

"If we cant be viable, we can't stay open," Mx White said. "A lot of organisations and individuals wouldn't be able to do projects they want to do."

Read more: Unique stays and glamping around the Illawarra rise in popularity

During the initial pandemic lockdown of 2020 their team of volunteers successfully fought for a temporary reduction in rent of 50 per cent from their landlord.

However, Mx White said the experience left their team "burnt out" with no energy left to fight this time around.

Society City initially opened in 2019 as part of an urban revival project by Renew Wollongong to bring life back to commercial spaces that had been sitting empty for extended periods of time.

Mx White said they had not been handed an eviction notice yet but needed to pay their rent owing as soon as possible.

To read more stories, download the Illawarra Mercury news app in the Apple Store or Google Play.