Former owner proud of C-Square’s social & commercial contributions
Tracy Martin: “time to hand C-Square on to others to develop further”.
from Tracy Martin, recent owner C-Square
We had our last day of owning C-Square on Friday December 10. We bought the property in June 2009 and we have seen it change from primarily a government office location, to be the home of some energetic new businesses.
These include the Compass Institute, Red Boss Productions and many others, who meet important needs of the community, such as Queensland Health and various health service, job and disability support providers.
Looking back, we are most proud of bringing Majestic Cinemas to Nambour.
While the Council Civic Centre was much loved, it wasn’t used as much as it could have been.
Majestic Cinemas have created a destination for families and movie lovers of all ages to come to Nambour and enjoy themselves in a comfortable and convenient location.
Our hope was that great ideas like the Bison Bar and the cafes, Switch and Endless Time, would be joined by other dining options to create a full entertainment experience for locals and those nearby.
Unfortunately, this potential got cut short by COVID, among other issues.
However, the success of Stalwart’s Brewing and other local restaurants growing and developing may yet create this entertainment ecosystem. We hope that we have contributed a foundation for this opportunity to continue to develop.
We have worked hard to be part of the community. Our placemakers, including Ardleigh Cleveland, Holly Walker, Wallea Eaglehawk, Lisa Fry and Mary Edgerton over the years, worked with many community groups to stage events at C-Square and find ways for C-Square to be not only geographically at the heart of Nambour, but also to be a place where people can meet.
We also look back on the changes we have made to the building, in partnership with many wonderful local professionals.
C-Square caretaker Louie (Newton Maurice), right, with Tracey Martin and Rob Preslmaier who were co-owners with John and Stefania Sorrentino.
Some of the highlights were:
• Replacing the old fountain, that didn’t work, at the front of the building with the Soundhouse, thanks to the design from Phil Smith, of Diecke Richards architects at the time.
• Painting almost the whole building, to update the look and presentation on the street, thanks to the very professional work of Vertex Access Solutions from Caloundra
Upgrading lighting, signage and wayfinding throughout the complex, under the design guidance of Stephen Burton from POMO.
• Adding many street art installations, through partnerships with the Horizon Festival, Street Art Nambour and individual local artists.
Beneath all of that, keeping a building that is now 30 years old, operating involves a lot of effort from air-conditioning techs, plumbers, electricians, cleaners, security ... all of which provides local jobs.
One person at the centre of this has been Louie, our caretaker for the entire time we have owned the building. He has been a constant presence, every morning, making sure things were clean and tidy and working well. He will be greatly missed.
As owners, we feel we have done our best to modernise C-Square, but that it is now time to hand it on to others to develop further. We hope the future for C-Square and Nambour is bright!