Massive change for Nicole Kidman’s Sydney cinema
Artist’s impressions of the new Verona, with 53 apartments, proposed for Paddington.
The revamp of Sydney’s long-suffering Oxford St is set to continue, with big plans for Paddington’s Verona cinema.
Before its closure last January, Verona had become an eastern suburbs institution. It had been opened on Valentine’s Day in 1996 by Nicole Kidman, while her then husband, Tom Cruise, waited in the car out the front, keen to take her to a romantic dinner.
It’s not known if she ever brought her second husband, Keith Urban, who she’s now filed to divorce, to the movies at the much-loved theatre.
If it comes off, a new Golden Age Cinema with four screens and creative performance spaces will be built on the site at 17 Oxford St, alongside about 60m of retail frontage and 53 apartments above.
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Nicole Kidman arrives to open the Verona Cinema on Valentine’s Day, 1996, while her then with husband Tom Cruise waited in the car out the front.
Developer WT Malouf is about to lodge a State Significant Development Application with the NSW Government, which is expected to be determined next year.
The old Verona cinema was shut down because of the proposed redevelopment, and is now located at the Entertainment Quarter. Since then, the developers bought up neighbouring sites which have led to the apartments being added.
The proposal comes as a new hotel, 25Hours The Olympia, is due to open next Thursday on the site of the old Olympia cinema next door, and shops start to open at the $300m Oxford and Foley development, which has been plagued by construction delays.
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The plan is for about 60m of retail frontage, with the apartments above.
If their plans for Verona are approved, WT Malouf says construction could start late next year, with completion three years later.
Along with luxury apartments, the developers say there would be 15 classified as affordable housing for essential workers.
And they would provide landscaped public connections between South Dowling and Verona streets, improving walkability and accessibility.
The development would retain the Verona’s iconic brick façade, recognising the building’s role in Paddington’s cultural life for nearly three decades.
WT Malouf has entered into exclusive arrangements with the operators of Golden Age Cinema & Bar, which currently operates a boutique cinema at Paramount House in Commonwealth St, Surry Hills, for the new space.
Jack Joseph, Director at WT Malouf, said: “At a time when Sydney is losing suburban cinemas, we’re committed to creating a bigger and better cinema experience for Paddington.
“Golden Age’s arrival will ensure Oxford Street continues to be a home for independent film, live performance and community events.
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The development would retain the Verona’s iconic brick façade.
Another angle.
Barrie Barton, CEO, Golden Age Cinema & Bar, said: “Golden Age was founded on the belief that cinema can be more than just watching a film — it can be the beating heart of a neighbourhood.
“Over more than a decade in Surry Hills, we’ve seen how a cinema can anchor dining, music and social life, and we’re excited to bring that same cultural energy to Paddington.”
The project has been designed in line with the City of Sydney’s Oxford Street Cultural and Creative Precinct strategy, which encourages new investment in cultural space, night-time economy and creative industries.
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It also aligns with the NSW 24-Hour Economy Strategy, contributing to the revival of Oxford Street as a safe, vibrant and connected cultural precinct that operates by day and night.
“This development is about more than apartments,” Jack said. “It’s about contributing to Oxford Street’s restoration as one of Sydney’s great cultural boulevards, where people come to live, create and socialise.”
Nicole Kidman and Tom Cruise back in the day. Picture: Getty
The architect, Tim Greer, Director of Tonkins Zulaikha Greer, said: “The new Verona is a once -in-a-generation opportunity to restore this important part of Oxford Street.’’
Alongside cultural and creative space, the Verona development will deliver new housing in one of Sydney’s most tightly held suburbs.
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