Brisbane School of Arts building in CBD to be sold off by council

The historic Brisbane School of Arts building is set to be sold off by the city council after years of neglect and changing plans.

Councillors will vote to offload the publicly owned structure at 166 Ann Street on Thursday night.

The structure was built in the 1860s as a clearing house and hostel for domestic servants.

It was bought by the Brisbane School of Arts about a decade later, and was acquired in 1965 by Brisbane City Council for use as a library.

It was closed in the 2000s, and has since fallen into disrepair.

Deputy Mayor Fiona Cunningham was seen at the building in March.

“The Brisbane School of Arts Building is one of only a handful of heritage landmarks left in Brisbane with untapped potential for renewal,” she said on Tuesday.

“Opportunities like this are rare and we’re now looking to secure private sector investment to write the next chapter of this iconic Brisbane building.

“This is a win-win for Brisbane residents because it secures the long-term future of a heritage landmark while unlocking investment in the services and infrastructure residents rely on every day.”

A $9 million restoration had been planned in 2018, but did not go ahead. The council blamed the pandemic, flooding and global inflation.

In 2025, the council voted to open expressions of interest to private operators, who could restore the building. It says it did not receive any “feasible” proposals.

Opposition councillor Nicole Johnston on Tuesday morning slammed the decision to sell the building.

“The sneaky sale of the heritage-listed School of Arts building is a betrayal of Brisbane’s culture and heritage,” she said.

“The School of Arts building was gifted to Brisbane City Council in the 1960s and was a beloved library and community hub for decades.

“Its neglect and inaction by Brisbane City Council, and now the midnight sale, is a cynical ploy to generate revenue for a council budget in distress.”

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