One of the old ladies of Adelaide will soon call it a day, as developers re-purpose the heritage-listed pub as a commercial space.
Hotel Wright St occupies the corner of Wright and Compton Streets, in the heart of the Adelaide CBD. The building was bought by Chinese developers for $5.5 million, via Wright Developments SA Pty Ltd.
The operators of the leasehold pub are Mike and Katie Pettigrew, and Scott and Jason Lawrie. The four bought the operation in 2011 and undertook a substantial overhaul, seeking to emulate the emerging style of recycled materials and eye-catching ornaments already prevalent in hospitality capitals Sydney and Melbourne.
Known since it opened in 1852 as the Queens Arms, they extended the outdoor area, re-styled, and re-branded it Hotel Wright St.
The group had plans to soon execute another renovation, which was to include the construction of a bottle shop. But the heritage building’s purchase and subsequent offer by the developer forced them to re-think their future at the old pub.
“It took us some time to come to an agreement to sell it because we were pretty emotionally attached,” Mike Pettigrew told Adelaide Now.
However, the decision was made to sell the lease, and consequently Hotel Wright St will close before the end of the year. The site will be converted into office and commercial space.
But far from giving up, the Pettigrews and Lawries have since already bought the nearby Fountain Inn, on Glen Osmond Rd, Parkside, and begun renovations and plans to re-name this pub in a similar vein, to the Parkside Hotel.