June 23, 2026 — 8:47amThe historic Brisbane School of Arts building is set to be sold off by the city council after years of changing plans and deterioration.Councillors will vote to offload the publicly owned facility at 166 Ann Street on Thursday night.The structure was built in the 1860s as a clearing house and hostel for domestic servants.The Brisbane School of Arts building at 166 Ann Street in the CBD will be sold by Brisbane City Council. William Davis It was bought by the Brisbane School of Arts about a decade later, then acquired in 1965 by Brisbane City Council for use as a library.It was leased to community group in the 2010s before closing, and has since fallen into disrepair.Deputy Mayor Fiona Cunningham was seen at the building in March.At the time, she told this masthead the council was seeking private funding to restore or repurpose the site, but did not say it would be sold off.“The Brisbane School of Arts Building is one of only a handful of heritage landmarks left in Brisbane with untapped potential for renewal,” she said on Tuesday.“Opportunities like this are rare and we’re now looking to secure private sector investment to write the next chapter of this iconic Brisbane building.“This is a win-win for Brisbane residents because it secures the long-term future of a heritage landmark while unlocking investment in the services and infrastructure residents rely on every day.”The structure was built in the 1860s and has been restored and renovated several times. Brisbane Times A $9 million restoration was planned in 2018, but did not go ahead. The council blamed the pandemic, flooding and global inflation.Earlier this year, the council opened expressions of interest to private operators who could restore the building.When handing down its 2026-27 budget, it said it had not received any “feasible” proposals and so had decided to sell the facility.Independent councillor Nicole Johnston on Tuesday morning slammed the decision as a “sneaky … betrayal of Brisbane’s culture and heritage”.Brisbane City Council said it did not receive a “feasible” expression of interest from potential private operators. William Davis “The building was gifted to Brisbane City Council in the 1960s and was a beloved library and community hub for decades,” she said.“Its neglect and inaction by Brisbane City Council, and now the midnight sale, is a cynical ploy to generate revenue for a council budget in distress.”The Labor opposition was also critical, arguing the LNP council had failed to properly preserve and manage the building.“The … council’s stewardship of this heritage-listed asset is a disgrace,” leader Jared Cassidy said.Inside the Brisbane School of Arts building in 2019.Brisbane Times“We are going to lose an iconic piece of Brisbane’s history in the heart of the city at a time when community need for space is at an all-time high.”Documents sent to councillors before their Thursday meeting showed the building has an area of 1009 square metres, and is on state and local heritage lists.“The building … has never been modernised and is without appropriate electrical, lighting and fire detection systems, heating, ventilation and air conditioning systems, lifts or escalators, functional bathrooms and kitchen facilities,” the documents said.“Without a significant modernisation and rebuilding of all but the shell of the building, the property cannot be made operational, and its general condition presents challenges in relation to the building’s security, maintenance and long-term sustainability.”It will be sold through a tender process or auction.Start the day with a summary of the day’s most important and interesting stories, analysis and insights. Sign up for our Morning Edition newsletter.From our partners