Overview and history
Occupying a key site in the Warehouse Precinct, the Sammy’s theatre building at 65 Crawford Street has a long history in Dunedin. The theatre was originally called the Agricultural Hall, and was later redeveloped to become His Majesty’s Theatre before it was converted into a restaurant and nightclub in the 1980s, when it became known as Sammy’s. Facing possible demolition, the Dunedin City Council purchased the former Sammy’s building in 2017 to protect it. Unfortunately, the building is a hazardous space due to the presence of asbestos and some of its structural elements. It is closed to the public for safety.
We have refurbished parts of the building to ensure it is weather tight its future is under review. More work is needed before we can consider what options there are for the building. There are no current plans for its use or development. We also recognise the need for a performance venue in Dunedin, and our 10-year plan includes $17 million for this purpose. While we have not yet settled on a final development option, Sammy’s was ruled out due to the costs involved among other constraints. On this page you can find three external reports regarding Sammy’s, its future and its infrastructure.
These are a BECA seismic report, ADM Asbestos report and the Flanders Marlow Conditions report. These have been provided to the public under the Local Government Official Information Act.
More history
The theatre was originally called the Agricultural Hall and was operated by the A&P Society. In 1902 it was redeveloped and re-opened as His Majesty’s Theatre. In the 1980s it was converted into the restaurant and nightclub, Sammy’s. The Sammy’s building has a long history in Dunedin city as an iconic venue for hosting local musicians and artists associated with labels like Flying Nun, Rational Records and Xpressway, as well as numerous national and international music tours, festivals and events. The Dunedin City Council purchased the former Sammy’s building in 2017 to protect it from possible demolition, as it forms a key part of the Warehouse Precinct streetscape.