Heffron Hall to be refurbished

The Sydney Gay & Lesbian Choir’s regular rehearsal space will see a $5 million redevelopment with Heffron Hall in East Sydney to soon provide for more multipurpose spaces for community hire as well as improved facilities for out-of-hours school care.

The City of Sydney has committed to the redevelopment of the community centre located on the corner of Burton and Palmer streets as part of a larger plan to improve local amenities and spaces, Lord Mayor Clover Moore said.

“Heffron Hall has been important to the local community since it was built in the 1960s, but it needs an urgent makeover,” she said.

“Opening Heffron Hall to the neighbouring Albert Sloss Reserve, improving connections to surrounding streets and general visibility, with an update to the indoor facilities, will make Heffron Hall an even more useful facility for people in East Sydney.”

Work on Heffron Hall follows the recent multimillion-dollar renovation of the nearby Burton Street Tabernacle to transform the historic building to a new a 200-seat theatre with gallery and café to be known as the Eternity Playhouse and home to Darlinghurst Theatre Company from early next year.

Work on refurbishing Heffron Hall will begin in early 2013 after the City of Sydney appointed Lahz Nimmo to design the project following a tender process.

The design will see new walls and openings to create a contemporary and ‘transparent’ community building, with the interior also to be upgraded to provide improved facilities.

The Sydney Gay & Lesbian Choir hold its regular rehearsals at the hall every Thursday evening.