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13 Comments

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1. Surely this beautiful old building could be repurposed rather than knocked down?
   A community centre, emergency housing, the options are endless.

2. I can't believe money can not be found to restore this amazing building. It could be made into artists studios and workshops like the Newtown Lennox street studios which were previously a school.
   It's one of the few remaining landmark buildings in Sydenham, if this is demolished just to save maintainance or restoration costs the councillors should be ashamed of themselves

3. please keep this building it provides a special focus within the neighbourhood and imagine what it would cost to build today

4. I also cannot believe that the only course of action is to knock this building down. Surely with a bit of TLC and imagination it could be given a new lease of life and the otherwise fairly barren Sydneham Green a bit more functional personality.

5. The church started life as a Methodist Church in 1902 but with Sydenham's changing demographic, it became a Coptic Church. So many people would have been baptised, married and left on their last journey from here. It is heritage listed too.

   Surely now another use can be found for this building. It would need soundproofing but could work as a theatre, preschool, restaurant, cafe, gym, housing for the homeless, a charity headquarters, an architects office, etc etc

6. Who on earth thought this up as an option! There are so many options for the use of this heritage listed building. What short sightedness. This should not be happening.

7. Please do not demolish this building. It may be abandoned, but still a representative of the architectural history of the area. Once you demolish, it does not come back. Whereas if you restore, you will always keep a piece of history in the suburb.

   Please, do not demolish! Reconsider other options. There are other options and they can bring concrete benefits to the community and the municipality.

8. I would like to know why this building is not heritage listed and why it can't be used for community purpose?
   I don't think this building demolition should be approved.

9. Heaven forbid I should say anything in support of this Council but the property has been on offer to people/companies to restore and use for some time. No one has wanted to take it on. It's not just in need of TLC it needs serious and costly help. It should never have been allowed to get into such disrepair.

   Is it actually heritage listed? If it is then I believe council and business in the area should fund its restoration. If not, then it should go. It has a very interesting history but it's so far beyond repair that it's just dangerous.

10. This church, it's history and it's architectural features need to be given a rebirth instead of demolishing it. Passion and vision are all that is needed to transform this church into a venue for the local community or even a private residence.. The options are endless. This particular site like hundreds of others should not be touched. By the way, it is Heritage listed.

11. So I found out that it is heritage listed in which case it is now, and always has been, Councils responsibility to repair and maintain it. Why has it been ignored for so long?

    I've lived across from it for 5 years and I've never seen council do anything but now the lawns outside the fence? Surely some kind of mitigation could have been attempted since many things could have been done to avoid its current state.

    Can we t be used as a teaching opportunity for trainee builders, carpenters other trades from tafes or other trade schools?

12. The Marrickville Heritage Society has consistently encouraged Council to preserve this Heritage Listed building. The building has housed religious institutions that have played important community building roles in Sydenham, and Council should be pursuing all options that could continue this tradition.
    The consecration of the former Methodist Church for the Coptic religious community in 1968 was the first outside of Egypt, providing a religious and community focus for an otherwise isolated migrant group. The recent upheavals in Syria will likely see an influx of Middle Eastern Christians that will strongly identify with the hopes of a safe future that the Church could symbolise, if it is retained.
    The Society understands that at least one self-funding artist and community group is very interested in occupying the building, and restoring it. Council should be actively supporting such initiatives.
    The Society is also seeking clarification of the future care and presentation of the war memorial fence and plaque. All Australian official commemorations and Memorials to the Missing are required to be maintained in perpetuity to established Commonwealth War Graves Commission (CWGC) standards.Responsibility for maintenance is divided between the CWGC and the Office of Australian War Graves (OAWG), depending upon the location and the conflict to which the grave, commemoration or Memorial to the Missing relates. Regional war memorials play a vital role as focal points for community commemoration. Saluting Their Service commemorations grants are, subject to eligibility requirements, available to assist with the restoration of war memorials or to build new memorials where none exist. We trust that, as owner of the building and its memorial, Council is aware of its responsibilities.

13. It has always been a councils responsibility to restore it and maintain it so so so. With the skate park your forcing on residents surely similar funds can be found to repair the council neglected heritage building?

    The skate park, additional basketball court and community garden will mean that additional toilets will be required. A kiosk and other stores could be housed there as well as an art gallery and dog friendly cafe as it backs on to the new, but as yet unfenced and I sufficiently amenitied, dog park. It could actually be a useful and practical community resource. More so that a skate park that targets very few residents.

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