97-year-old Brisbane bowls club saved from demolition in $6 million deal

Griffin Hospitality plans to renovate the clubhouse, bar and kitchen while retaining the atmosphere and character associated with the club. The aim is to make the venue more welcoming for bowlers, families and visitors while keeping the sport at its centre.

For a club that spent years staring down the prospect of demolition, the future of Coorparoo Bowls Club now looks very different. The 97-year-old Brisbane institution will remain a place for bowls and community gatherings after the site was sold for $6 million to a local investor, ending plans that could have replaced the club with high-rise apartments, states the latest news report by ABC News.

The deal preserves both bowling greens and gives the historic club a chance to enter its next chapter without losing the character that has defined it for generations.

A campaign that kept the greens alive

As per the ABC News report, the sale follows a multi-year campaign by the Coorparoo Bowls Club committee, which had been fighting to protect the venue and was facing eviction in May this year. Rather than see the site disappear under a redevelopment, the club will now remain in place under new ownership.

Bowls Queensland reached the $6 million agreement with Coorparoo local Will Griffin of Griffin Hospitality Group after considering competing offers.

The organisation rejected an offer that was $1 million higher, prioritising an agreement that would keep bowls operating at the site.That decision means both existing greens will stay. One will be available for competitions, while the other will cater to casual players, preserving the club's role for both organised games and everyday community use.

Plans for a renewed clubhouse

The new ownership is expected to bring changes to the venue, but not a complete transformation, adds the online report. Griffin Hospitality plans to renovate the clubhouse, bar and kitchen while retaining the atmosphere and character associated with the club. The aim is to make the venue more welcoming for bowlers, families and visitors while keeping the sport at its centre. The plans also position the club as more than a sporting venue, with space for meals, social gatherings and community activities alongside regular bowls.

For a property that had been facing a very different future, the approach offers a way to modernise the venue without erasing its history.

The committee stays on

The report also states that the committee that led the campaign to save Coorparoo Bowls Club will remain involved, signing a five-year lease to continue running the club. That arrangement keeps the people who have helped steer the club through its uncertain years connected to its future. With both greens protected, renovations planned and the existing committee remaining at the helm, Coorparoo Bowls Club has avoided demolition and secured a path forward.

After nearly a century at the heart of the local community, the club will continue rolling bowls rather than making way for towers.Image Courtesy: ABC News