A revised plan to convert a 19th century city building into apartments headlines the projects up for determination by Newcastle council at tonight's development applications committee meeting.
Councillors will consider a proposal to add an extra floor to an already approved rooftop extension of the 1887 heritage-listed Municipal Building on the corner of Hunter and Market streets.
Singlost Pty Ltd won approval to convert the building into a mostly residential complex featuring 28 units and ground-floor shops in 2019. The $5.7 million project included 16 units on the existing second and third floors and another 12 in a roof-top addition over two levels.
But a revised $7.2 million plan exhibited late last year includes a third roof-top level and an altered internal layout and external design.
The changes allow for an extra six units but will increase the building's height by 3.1 metres, taking it to 26 metres on Hunter Street and 28 metres on Keightley Street, a 30 and 40 per cent variation respectively, to the standard height limits.
The applicant has argued an approved adjacent development at 176 Hunter Street, the former AA Dangar Building, is of a similar height.
The Municipal Building project includes no car parking spaces, which the application says would not be possible to create due to the building's heritage status.
Retail mogul Hilton Seskin, who founded Rebel Sport, bought the building for $3.275 million in 2017.
Council planning staff have recommended the revised plan be approved.
Another application recommended for approval is the Lynch's Hub cafe expansion. The business, which operates in a small council-owned building on Wharf Road, wants to install a commercial kitchen and increase its trading hours from 6pm to 9pm, or 7pm to 10pm on Fridays and Saturdays.
A public voice meeting was held about the plans in September with nearby residents raising concerns about potential noise, odour, parking and social impacts.
Lynch's Hub owner Blake Forrester said at the meeting the modification was "in keeping" with the development's "initial intent" and the business wanted to "optimise" its offerings in line with "changes and progress being delivered in the city".
"Our proposal for these minor changes are ... very much in keeping with the operational scope of neighbouring businesses and the public utilisation of neighbouring thoroughfares and community lands," he said.
Two public voice meetings are also due to be held on Tuesday night, one about a service station development in Georgetown and another about the basketball courts being constructed at National Park in Newcastle West.
