Sydney’s historic Alexandria Hotel is now undergoing renovations and will reopen as ‘Backyard at The Alex’ before 2021 ends. It will be a family and dog-friendly outdoor space where the community can come to dine, drink, and socialise.
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Merivale, the current owners of Alexandria Hotel, has not announced an exact opening date for Backyard at the Alex, but it’s anticipated to open by the end of 2021, most likely before the Christmas season.
What to Expect from ‘Backyard at The Alex’
Backyard at the Alex will be a pop-up outdoor community hub that will highlight a large garden outback. The garden will be centred around a basketball court and will have communal tables and grandstand seating.
The Alexandria Residents’ Action Group revealed the venue will have an outdoor viewing screen that will once again be available to cheer on the Sydney Swans and for other sporting events.
“The focus is on the return of the community hub that we fought to retain, rather than the destination venue that might have been expected from Merivale,” shared the Alexandria Residents’ Action Group.
As for food, guests can order from the rotating food trucks, which will feature menu items such as chicken schnitzels from Wholly Schnit and Yakitori-style bamboo skewers from Firepop, and a pop-up kitchen serving Merivale favourites.
A Win for the Community
Backyard at The Alex’s transformation is a big win for the locals, who fought hard to save the hotel from impending demolition. Back in 2015, locals formed Alexandria Residents’ Action Group to object to a development application, which involves knocking down the hotel to construct residential blocks in its place.
The developers initially proposed to build 28 apartments over four storeys and later revised the plan to 26 apartments over seven storeys.
The locals’ campaign resulted in more than 500 written objections and thousands of signatures on a petition to Sydney City Council. The developers took the matter to the Land and Environment Court, where over 100 people turned up to the hearing to object.
In 2016, it appears the locals’ prayers have been answered because hospitality giant Merivale bought the hotel for $10 million, announcing its plans to preserve the front bar and transform the courtyard into a vibrant space for the community.
“Institutions like this must be preserved, they reflect our history and help shape our culture – especially when they mean as much to their local community as The Alex does. This outcome is a great reward for the passion and character of the community who fought so hard to save this property where a hotel has stood for almost 150 years,” said Merivale CEO Justin Hemmes in a media release.
About the Alexandria Hotel
Catherine Goodfellow, a widow who lived in Redfern, was the original lessee of the property. Goodfellow initiated the development of Alexandria Hotel and it was trading as Alexandria Family Hotel in 1874.
In 1879 Catherine Goodfellow offered the leasehold of her substantial property for sale, which included the Alexandria Hotel.
It was described as “most substantially erected brick premises on stone foundation, slate roof, containing balcony, bar, side entrance, 8 rooms and kitchen, with cellar in basement, good yard – along with four “brick verandah cottages”, a shop and dwelling, butcher’s shop, two building allotments on Raglan Street and 10 allotments of land on which stood cottages and Alexandria Council Chambers.”
The new leaseholder, Mathew McNamee, sublet the major brewers Tooth & Co for 15 years. When the Commissioner for Railways conveyed the property title to Tooth & Co they acted quickly to modernise the property.
The Alexandria Hotel was designed by the prominent architectural firm of Rudder & Grout, which designed many hotels for Tooth & Co across NSW during the 1920s and 1930s. The firm also designed some of the state’s most significant public swimming pools during the 1930s. A number of Rudder & Grout’s hotels are located within the City of Sydney.
