A live music venue is looking to become a pub, planning food and drinks and to even add its own brewery to the mix.
Sunshine Coast venue Norton Music Factory started out in 2012 as a custom guitar shop, later throwing a few private parties and shooting a film clip for a local band.
Then, the workshop was asked by local bands as well as the public to consider further shows, and a venue was born.
Electrician by trade, former drummer Liam Norton began designing his own guitars, finding the workshop and later the gigs, which he began to raise money for charity, has morphed into something bigger.
He says the space never intended to become a music venue, “it just kind of happened by accident”.
Now, Norton has applied to the Sunshine Coast Council to establish a hotel at the site.
The 1,116sqm site is located in a Caloundra West industrial area, and was originally approved for a gym, sauna and spa.
Plan A Town Planning’s report for the application says the sale of food and beverages is to support the guitar workshop and planned brewery.
“The development seeks approval for the production of beverages and guitars for the purpose of wholesale.
“The hotel land use will support the sale of both products by providing the opportunity for customers to visit the site and consume the beverages and enjoy live entertainment displaying the guitars.”
While there are some hurdles, such as zoning inconsistencies and a lack of the required number of car spaces, the report highlighted the location of the business, suggesting the proposed hotel use complements the area, as there is distance from residential areas and plenty of on-street parking.
The only change proposed to the building itself is the erection of a roof over the existing carpark.
The report cites University of the Sunshine Coast studies showing a correlation between the Sunshine Coast’s worsening economic performance and the decline of live music venues.
It also included letters of support from the Caloundra Chamber of Commerce, QMusic and the Sunshine Coast Music Industry Collective.
The intimate live music venue aims to create a strong community around a variety of music genres.
“We want you to feel like you’re part of a community, and we want you to leave feeling inspired and entertained,” says the Norton Music Factory website.
