A petition has been launched to save Sydney live music venue Frankie’s Pizza by the Slice, after news broke of plans to demolish the site to make way for a new Sydney Metro station last weekend.
On May 15, it was revealed that in order to build a new CBD station at Hunter Street, a construction site would need to be set up between O’Connell and Bligh streets – where Frankie’s Pizza resides.
At the time, NSW Transport Minister Andrew Constance told the Sydney Morning Herald, that the venue’s owners and staff would be compensated, and an acquisition manager would assist with relocation.
On May 18, Frankie’s made its first statement regarding the upcoming demolition, confirming the venue has at least a year left in operation at its current location.
“We are taking this opportunity to push all of our energy and resources into making more memories with our beloved Sydney, its people and its visitors, while we still can,” venue owners said.
“We are adding more bands, more bills, big events, collaborations, and all the late night revelry you would expect from one of the world’s great Rock & Roll institutions, right up til’ the fat lady dies. Who is with us!? LET’S PARTY!”
Now, a Change.org petition has been launched in an effort to save the music venue from its impending destruction. At time of writing, 3,653 people have signed to voice their support, with the petition addressed to Sydney Lord Mayor Clover Moore.
Daniel Heagney, who launched the petition, argued that it’s not enough to simply move Frankie’s to a new venue, and instead, that “we must preserve the venue it has become”.
“A venue like this can not be made overnight, it has created its own character, its own uniqueness and has drawn in people from around the world from all walks of life together around music (and apple whiskeys),” Heagney wrote.
“If we can get enough signatures we have a chance for them to understand how important this place is and how important this place has become. Sydney has lost so much of its music culture and we can not lose this icon. Singularly we can’t do it but together we can.”