By Kate Lockyer
A former brothel caught up in the Fitzgerald Inquiry and a clothing factory-turned-printer-turned-Asian market are some of the larger-than-life buildings which are being repurposed for modern uses in Fortitude Valley.
Sisters Brianna Mahoney and Alessia Russo work for Russo Investments, established by their parents Angelo and Sandra Russo about 45 years ago.
They have recently focused on refurbishing several character and heritage sites in Fortitude Valley and New Farm.
Ms Russo, Head of Investments, said: “When we bought our first heritage building, we looked at it and thought, there are so many amazing features, like beautiful brick and timber, arched windows and the timber framing. There are these design aspects you don’t get in your new builds today.”
“A lot of the buildings come from manufacturing backgrounds… it used to be a working-class area.”
They purchased Stewart & Hemmant on 2 McLachlan St about six years ago and have now renovated the building to house hospitality tenants including Brooki Bakehouse, Etna Pizza & Vino, Short Grain, and Rosmarino Italian Restaurant.
Before that, however, it was built in 1898 as a factory employing predominantly women for drapery business Stewart & Hemmant, owned by Alexander Stewart and William Hemmant.
Research conducted by Queensland Heritage Council member Susan Hill found the new factory was apparently built in response to concerns for factory worker conditions.
In 1928 the site of the factory was sold to printers and publishers Smith & Paterson, who are believed to have operated at the site until 1982, and it then transferred owners twice before reopening as an Asian supermarket and emporium around 1987.
Ms Mahoney said they brought back the building as close to the original as possible, which was achieved by sandblasting.
“Sandblasting is such an amazing process – we’ve done it with a few buildings – because it is stripping layers of what people have painted over the years, back to its original fibres,” she said.
Another of their holdings is at 144 Wickham St, which houses the Les Bubbles Steakhouse, formerly an illegal casino and brothel named in the Fitzgerald Inquiry.
They have been able to recreate the original features upstairs of the restaurant, which will soon be occupied as an office space.
“We really love the area and there are some really great buildings and some history that comes with them,” Ms Russo said.
