The 121-year-old building on Crawford St. Photo: ODT filesThe Dunedin City Council has stepped in to save the former Sammy's live music venue from possible demolition. The Otago Daily Times understands the council is set to announce it has bought the building for $128,000, and plans to retain it as a live performance and cultural facility. The deal is unconditional and the council would take possession of the building on February 10, it is understood. Details of the deal came after it was reported last week the 121-year-old former His Majesty's Theatre, and later Sammy's live music venue, had been sold to an unnamed buyer after being placed on the market last October. The purchase came after the venue was stripped of its liquor licence last year, after the Dunedin District Licensing Committee concluded former owner Sam Chin was "unsuitable to hold an on-licence'' following a string of transgressions.

Source: Otago Daily Times February 03, 2017 01:25 UTC