The Empire Theatre has been a huge part of the Toowoomba Hutchies story. So much so, that our first package of work completed at the Empire (a refurb valued at $10.7M) was the catalyst for Hutchies establishing a permanent office in Toowoomba back in 1997.

The theatre was built in 1911, was gutted by fire in 1933 and after being closed and left vacant since 1971, Hutchies was awarded the high profile refurbishment to bring the Theatre back to life. The project was a huge success and was considered one of Hutchies’ most successful projects in the company’s history at the time. This project led Hutchies to establish a team in Toowoomba, opening an office in Neil Street (across the road from the Theatre) and provided us to the opportunity to secure a second large package of work at the University of Southern Queensland.

Since the fortuitous first refurbishment, Hutchies has since completed three more major refurbishments of the Empire Theatre and a significant extension constructing the adjoining Armitage Centre in 2013. The Theatre even features the ‘Hutchies Bar’ in recognition of the significant history the building and builder share. In the following decades, Hutchies has a been mainstay and significant player in the Toowoomba construction landscape.

Awards

2015 QMBA Awards Queensland Hospitality Facility 

2015 QMBA Awards Downs & Western Hospitality Facility

Awards

2019 QMBA Awards Queensland Tourism & Leisure Facility up to $10M

2019 QMBA Awards Downs & Western Tourism & Leisure Facility up to $10M