Hundreds turn out to save eastern Sydney pub
More than 350 residents turned out at Paddington’s Village Inn in Sydney on Saturday in an attempt to protect the heritage-listed pub from the march of local fashion label Alemais, which has proposed turning the pub into a boutique.
The rally comes after a proposal was put forward to convert the nearly two-centuries-old pub into a ground floor boutique, with co-working spaces on the upper floor, by Alemais owner and founder Lesleigh Jermanus and her retail entrepreneur husband Chris Buchanan.
Will Marshall (left) and David Hancock outside the Village Inn on Saturday.
The pair, who are joint directors and shareholders of a holding company Bowie Ferris Investments, paid $6.2 million for the corner pub in September last year, and claim the watering hole in its current format is financially unviable.
In plans valued at $770,000 and put on public notice by Woollahra Council last week, the pair proposed to convert the pub into a ground floor boutique to function as the brand’s Australian flagship store, with a shared working space on the upper floor.
But the proposal has triggered a community outcry from the area’s notoriously proud and protective residents, who have objected to what they see as a historic public venue being done away with for more retail.
David Hancock, chairman of FinClear, a financial markets technology provider, and a former group head of buy now, pay later company Afterpay, is a local Paddington resident and Village Inn regular, as are his sons.
“It’s been here since, what, 1890. As a community member, it’s really important to make sure that we preserve the living history,” said Mr Hancock, who created posters and beer coasters for the rally.
“There are a lot of people here today who are all local
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