PLANS to bring Hope Estate's flavour to Honeysuckle have been lodged as part of a revamp for the former Newcastle Maritime Museum building.
Hope at Honeysuckle has lodged its development application for the waterfront building, Hunter Central Coast Development Corporation chief operating officer Valentina Misevska confirmed on Tuesday.
"Hope at Honeysuckle' will bring the best of the Hunter to Newcastle and submitting the development application was a key milestone for this exciting venture," Ms Misevska said.
"Hope at Honeysuckle is set to become something really special in the heart of Newcastle and once fitted-out, the adaptive reuse of the building will really showcase the best of this precinct and create a unique experience for both locals and visitors," Ms Misevska said.
"Creating a vibrant, destination venue that offers fun experiences both day and night, encouraging people to linger longer while enhancing our built heritage definitely aligns with our objectives for the broader precinct."
The Newcastle Herald reported in July last year that Michael Hope won a tender for the building's 50-year lease. If approved, the site is expected to host feature a cellar door, providore retail, restaurant, and dining options as well as experiences including wine tastings, beer matching and cooking classes.
Mr Hope said he had worked closely with architects to design the facelift while respecting the building's bones.
"It was really important for us to bring a feeling of space to 'Hope at Honeysuckle', but instead of looking out at rolling hills and rows of vines, that feeling will come from the expanse of water and views to the horizon," he said.
"From the Honeysuckle Drive frontage, the building will remain largely unchanged. On the harbour side, we want to create an all-weather space for outdoor dining to provide that much sought-after indoor-outdoor feel as well as making the most of the deck area and its proximity to the water.
"The point of difference in our development application is an additional level of outdoor space designed to really take advantage of the amazing view."
