Wollongong Town Hall is set to undergo a refurbishment to the tune of $5.4 million, with plans to make it a modern performance venue by the end of 2010.
City administrators said their vision is for a facility that has more space and a fresher feel, better access for the disabled - and one that eliminates the need for performers such as acclaimed violinist Richard Tognetti to dress in the kitchen.
Under plans unveiled yesterday, the main auditorium will be refurnished, painted and its wood panelling and floorboards repaired.
The main stage will get new lighting and bigger wings, lifts for heavy sets and a curtain to protect the organ when not in use.
The disabled will be able to access the mezzanine level via a lift and a hearing induction loop will be installed.
New air conditioning, emergency smoke exhausts and fire exits will mean the town hall will once again be able to acquire a licence allowing major paid events to be held there.
Smaller rooms in the building will be upgraded, while the entrance and foyer will be made roomier, the latter having new carpet and doors.
The Kembla St side of the town hall will be glazed, bringing natural light in.
The smaller former town hall will become a multipurpose room with snack and drinks bar, and the stage will be turned into dressing rooms.
This, administrator Gabrielle Kibble joked, would please acclaimed Wollongong musician Tognetti who had mentioned having to "change in the kitchen" over the many years he performed there.
The new renovation will use $2 million of State Government funds and follows on from $265,000 worth of work to have lead and asbestos- contaminated dust removed and designs drawn by the NSW Government Architect.
The council has pulled back from an original four stage $10.8 million overhaul released last June in favour of the new plans, which means the town hall will re-open to the public earlier.
Ms Kibble said further improvements, including opening the town hall up to Civic Plaza, could be added then.
"It's a very exciting project," she said.
"It clearly has to have modern standards of accessibility and safety but if we're talking about a sustainable future, we have to look carefully at existing buildings and how to use energy embodied in them rather than always building new ones.
"I asked when I first arrived: why get rid of a hall that has superb acoustics and has been such an important part of Wollongong's history?"
Ms Kibble said the town hall, as the CBD's musical centre, and the IPAC, as its theatrical centre, helped to form a "cultural precinct for the city".
"It's crucial to Wollongong as a major city to have a venue that is first class and has other uses," she said.
The town hall renovations come just weeks after the council announced major upgrades to Civic Plaza and Crown St Mall.
The administrators believe the plans will be supported.
"The impression we had when the decision was taken to not demolish the town hall was passionate," Ms Kibble said.
A development application will need to be considered by the city's Independent Hearing and Assessment Panel.
The plans will be open for public viewing and comment until July 3.
If approved, the upgrade will begin after a tender process is undertaken.
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