Pitched as a cultural hub for almost 500 artists, creatives and designers in inner Sydney with a community green, outdoor cinema, studios and a pop-up gallery, there has been concern around the Rich St. Arts Precinct since it was first floated in 2019, notably around the lack of ‘for-purpose’ space.
‘For-purpose’ creative space is what it says on the tin: designed for the purpose of the end user, which in this case is likely to be creative producers who need industrial IN1 provisions: 24/7 access, container access, hard stand, 3-phase power, high clearance… the list goes on.
And it’s the first thing to go as old industrial spaces are razed so the land they inhabit can be ‘renewed’, ‘redeveloped’ and ‘re-purposed’.
Linda Morris wrote about the Rich St. precinct stalling two years ago in the Herald, discussing the evolution of the precinct into a foodie strip:
“Five years later, the reality is more eat street than arts precinct: the former timberyard in Marrickville’s Rich Street is to become home to a gelato factory and a probable gin distillery…”
She continues, explaining:
“[This site] is on the frontline of a development push in Marrickville that has put musicians, performers and artists in retreat and struggling to find new affordable footholds in the suburb they have made home.”
It’s the same old story. Gentrification drives the wrecking ball, displacing the existing industry and employment, while promises of ‘affordable creative space’ vaporise in the reality of the return required to support new-build investments. Tim Levinson – Urthboy/ Elefant Traks – acknowledges the impact that the creative industry has on industrial areas, noting:
“Artists [play a] role in gentrification, becoming Trojan horses for developers to come in and capitalise on the vibrancy that we create…”
In the meantime, the artists have gone, the space is going, and there seems to be zero provision for the future of ‘for-purpose’ creative production space.