Wollongong's newest eatery opens on Wednesday.
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Levelone @ harbourfront comes with views of the fishing fleet and the city's picturesque harbour.
It is the latest venture by Harbourfront Restaurant proprietor Angelo Scioscia, who wanted to bring something different to the city's waterfront dining precinct.
Levelone @ harbourfront is open for lunch and dinner, Wednesday to Sunday, from 11am until late.
Reservations at info@levelonehf.com.au, www.levelonehf.com.au or on 4227 2999.
Head chef Aaron Garland said he had developed a menu that was different to the Harbourfront Restaurant above it to help add variety on the foreshore.
Mr Garland said the levelone @ harbourfront menu included tapas-style tastes, including dishes such as pulled pork sliders, empanadas and smoky barbecue chicken wings.
There were also mains such as beetroot and goat's cheese ravioli, half-deboned Portuguese chicken, and many quality beef options such as the 500-gram rib-eye or the 600-gram T-bone, served with a choice of two sides.
"Customers can expect to see a variety of modern dishes on the menu, including a range of top-quality South Australian beef from the Riverina district," Mr Garland said.
"The inspiration for our menu is drawn globally, from your traditional Italian and French-style dishes to modern Australian cuisines and the use of molecular gastronomy."
Inner-city vibe
Levelone @ harbourfront is one of many new additions to Wollongong's emerging restaurant and bar scene that MMJ Commercial Leasing director Michael Croghan said was setting the city apart as a distinct social hub in the region.
Mr Croghan said it was fantastic that GPT was investing so much in the CBD retail sector but the added bonus was the inner-city living feel emerging.
"You see a trend happening with all these bars, restaurants and coffee shops," he said.
"There is much more of a Melbournesque-type feel happening. It is just that inner-city vibe at work. It has been spoken about before but it has actually happened."
Hive of activity
Speaking at a Property Council lunch, Mr Croghan produced a conservative estimate of investment highlights, saying more than $2 billion in projects had been or would be completed in the region.
More than $1.125 billion in projects were now under construction, he said. They were GPT's West Keira Shopping Centre development, Wollongong City Mall upgrade, Wollongong Hospital redevelopment and multi-deck car park, Illawarra Cancer Centre expansion, Shellcove's Boat Harbour development, new Flinders train station, Cement Australia's new plant, Princes Highway upgrade near Gerringong, UOW Early Start building and Tarrawanna aged-care facility.
They're in the bag ...
Mr Croghan said more than $500 million in recently completed projects were reason to celebrate in the Illawarra.
They included the Stockland Shellharbour expansion, new Metronode Data Centre at Unanderra, Wollongong Innovation Campus Sustainable Building Research Centre, University of Wollongong's K2 360-bed student accommodation building, the Picton Road upgrade and Ambience Shopping Centre mixed-use development at Fairy Meadow.
... with more in store
Wollongong and Shellharbour also have almost $400 million in projects to look forward to.
They include the Shellharbour City Council Hub, new Woolworths supermarket and speciality shops at Bulli, West Dapto access road link to unlock the West Dapto housing release, various aged-care facilities and retirement village projects in Kiama, at Bulli Hospital, Shellcove and IRT Howard Court West, Wollongong Private Hospital, new 5000-square-metre SES premises and University of Wollongong's iAccelerate building incubator.
Home loan rival
For the past four months, Illawarra's IMB Building Society has been challenging the home loan market dominance of the major banks by offering Australia's equal lowest fixed home loan rate of 3.99 per cent.
IMB introduced the low rate in December 2013.
The one-year fixed rate home loan rate of 3.99 per cent (comparison rate 5.33 per cent) means members with loans of $300,000 or higher could save more than $3000 in the first year, compared with the average one-year fixed rate offered by the major banks.
Chief executive Robert Ryan said the mutual building society's goal was to offer a better-value alternative.
"We've been encouraged by the increase in inquiry levels from new customers in the Illawarra in recent months," he said.
Head moves on
Illawarra Innovative Industry Network (i3net) acting chairman Angelo Versace announced on Monday that executive officer Sandy Haig was leaving the manufacturing clusters to take up a position with the University of Wollongong.
Mr Versace thanked Mrs Haig for all her efforts and the work she had put in to help the network grow to its present size and level of activity.