The University of Newcastle has lodged plans to start preliminary work on its unusual Alumni House building opposite Civic Park.
The university has submitted a development application for an estimated $2.4 million in mine grouting to stabilise the King Street site.
A team led by Sydney architecture firm Durbach Block Jaggers Architects won a design competition for the $15 million building last year.
The university is providing $5 million for the build and has been chasing philanthropic support for the rest.
It says Alumni House will be a "digitally enabled space dedicated to fostering the pride and nostalgia that alumni feel for the university, giving them a sense of belonging and enabling them to give back with impact by offering their time and expertise to the next generation of graduates".
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