1998: When Darrell Lea said "No" to developers

Above: The Darell Lea store in 2006. Photo was taken by the Author.

In 1998, as the 400 George Street development rose over George Street, the Lea Family (founders and original owners of Darrell Lea) revealed that they had refused offers from developers to sell the site of which was home to their then flagship store. The building was also on the National Trust Register, protecting it from demolition. Developers had proposed incorporating the building into the structure, by the Lea family had doubts about the future of the building had they opted to sell. 

   

Source: Blake, E. 1998. "City keeps its sweet spot". The Daily Telegraph, March 2: 15. 

Darrell Lea closed the store in 2012 when they quit the speciality shop trade as part of a restructuring of the company following financial difficulties and the sale of the family-run business to VIP Petfoods. The company was sold again in 2018 to the Quadrant Equity Group. Currently, the site is home to a Telstra Store and has had restoration works.

The building today. Photo was taken by the Author (2019).

The Lea family must be credited for helping save a building that didn't just mean something to them, but to the City of Sydney as well. While Darrell Lea may no longer sell its chocolates and sweets from this building, it allows a piece of Darrell Lea's history to live on. It is the family's legacy to Sydney.