Newcastle will soon be home to another five-star hotel as the old David Jones building is tranformed into a major tourism and hospitality attraction.

City of Newcastle Deputy Lord Mayor, Declan Clausen, hailed the regional planning panel’s green light for the project as a much-needed boost for the city’s east.

“We welcome the Hunter & Central Coast Regional Planning Panel’s decision to accept City of Newcastle’s recommendation to approve a five-star hotel,” Mr Clausen said. 

“The hotel will breathe new life into the Hunter Street Mall.

“Work is already underway next door on more than a hundred residential apartments and retail and commercial space as part of the East End development.  

“Both stages are game changers as they account for more than half the mall.” 

As part of Iris Capital’s $700 million East End Project, the development is well underway thanks to its original, stage-one approval as apartments in 2017.

To be run by the Event Hospitality group, the boutique ‘QT Newcastle’ hotel will host up to 208 guests behind the 1880s building.

The brick façade, arched windows and rendered cornices will all be preserved as a condition of the original consent.      

QT Newcastle’s approval follows the current conversion of the old City Administration Centre opposite Civic Park into the City’s first five-star hotel. 

Work began late last year on the 136-room hotel with a rooftop swimming pool when Crystalbrook Collection took possession of the ‘Roundhouse’ after Council relocated to a new office in Newcastle West. 

In the east, City of Newcastle will soon commence major capital works to overhaul Hunter Street Mall at the street level.  

Bluestone footpaths, cobblestone laneways and new outdoor eating and retail opportunities are part of plans dovetailing Iris Capital’s investment to revive the area as tourism, residential and hospitality hub.  

Despite sweeping coronavirus disruptions nationally, development application (DA) submissions remain steady in Newcastle, as the city’s planning team continues to treat assessment as an essential service.