New Wave Surf House
Newcastle Herald
Tuesday January 13, 2009
AFTER 20 years of neglect, a landmark Newcastle beachfront site is a step closer to becoming active again.
An application to redevelop Merewether's derelict Surf House went on exhibition yesterday.The $5 million proposal put to Newcastle City Council involves demolishing the 1937 art deco beach pavilion and building a three-level structure with public amenities, a cafe/kiosk, function centre and restaurant.Proposed operating hours are 6am to midnight. The function centre would be available for community use 10 hours a week.Surf House was damaged in the 1989 earthquake and has been closed, declared unsafe, since 1995. Its decaying condition has long been of public concern.The application comes after the council signed in September a 50-year lease for the site with a consortium backed by prominent Newcastle developer Keith Stronach, who is behind the proposal.Some had hoped for the building's restoration.The application acknowledged Surf House's heritage value but said that economic circumstances and lease arrangements made adaptive reuse unviable.The building was in very poor condition due to years of neglect and exposure to the harsh coastal environment, and was a blemish on the Merewether beachfront, the application said. The development would create a meeting place to reinvigorate that end of the beach, it said.
© 2009 Newcastle Herald