Imperial Hotel: To save or not to save

23 October 2026

Beenleigh Buzz has received last month the following information from Beenleigh resident Mr Ben Yeuell:

'A community campaign is now underway to save Beenleigh’s historic Imperial Hotel at 68–70 George Street from demolition as part of the Logan and Gold Coast Faster Rail project.

The Imperial dates back to 1886, shortly after the railway arrived in Beenleigh in 1885. Logan City Council’s own heritage material identifies it as one of the original four Beenleigh hotels and states that only the Imperial and Sundowner retain street frontages that remain significantly unchanged since they were built.

The community’s position is simple: We support Faster Rail. We support investment in Beenleigh. But we don’t believe progress should come at the cost of destroying a building that tells the story of how Beenleigh itself developed. We are asking the Queensland Government to retain the Imperial Hotel in its existing location, restore it and give it a new public or community use as a permanent heritage asset.

In other words, we don’t just want to save an old building. We want to give it a future.

We have now formally approached the Queensland Premier, relevant Ministers, the Queensland Heritage Council, TMR and Logan City Council seeking an urgent heritage assessment and asking that every reasonable engineering option be examined before demolition proceeds.

Queensland has already demonstrated in Brisbane that significant historic buildings can be retained, restored and incorporated into major modern redevelopment. We believe Beenleigh deserves the same consideration.

The question we’re asking is straightforward:  Why can’t Faster Rail and the Imperial Hotel exist together?

This isn’t a campaign against progress. It’s about making sure progress doesn’t erase a piece of Beenleigh’s history that can never be replaced.'

A Transport and Main Roads(TMR) Spokesperson has advised:

'TMR has engaged a specialist to undertake a Historical Heritage Assessment (HHA) for the Imperial Hotel site to identify how any heritage impacts can best be managed. This assessment is underway. TMR acknowledges the importance of the Imperial Hotel to the local community and will continue to provide updates when more information is available.'

It appears to the Editor of Beenleigh Buzz that if it is possible to undertake any work which will physically restore the building what actually happens will be determined by the cost and who is prepared to bear it.