DADAA, a community arts and cultural development organisation, will move into the 162-year-old building once $2 million heritage restoration works are completed later this year and details of the lease are approved by the council.
The Old Boys’ School on Adelaide Street was most recently used as headquarters for the Film and Television Institute of WA.
DADAA executive director David Doyle said it was an opportunity to make a positive impact on the needs of local residents through arts and health-based programs.
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READ NOW“It will give reason for thousands of people from across Perth to choose Fremantle as their destination for arts and health and promote local philanthropy,” he said.
“It’s not often a space as historically and culturally significant as this is available for lease, so we are very excited and look forward to finalising the lease with Fremantle council and making the heart of Freo DADAA’s new home base.”
DADAA was selected ahead of 11 other applicants seeking to lease the building.
Fremantle Mayor Brad Pettitt said the selection process was based on a strict set of criteria.
“The Old Boys’ School is an important, highly visible public building in the heart of the up-and-coming east end of Fremantle so it’s crucial the new tenant is the right fit not only for the building, but also for the precinct and broader community,” he said.
“The City received several other strong applications, but there can only be one head tenant and DADAA ticks all the boxes.
“They are 100 per cent community focused, have a very strong connection with the Fremantle arts and culture scene and have demonstrated their commitment to activating the building and the local area with a variety of uses for everyone to get involved in.”