Heritage plans for Keira Street restaurant strip paused by Wollongong council

At Monday night's council meeting business papers looked to push forward with the proposed local heritage listing of 12 sites in and around the Wollongong CBD.

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It was a plan that had drawn opposition from most owners of those properties, including the Dion family's company Dion Investments.

That group owns the strip of shops between 100-120 Keira Street, which includes restaurants like Amigo's and small bar Red Square.

The business papers contained a revision from the initial heritage assessment that only the shape and configuration of the strip of shops would fall under the heritage order.

Representing the family company, Les Dion spoke at Monday night's council meeting in opposition to the heritage listing.

"We believe there is limited heritage significance because of the alterations that have been made and where they were made, they limited the architectural significance," Mr Dion said.

"When we refurbished the site back in 1994 many of the shopfronts were significantly altered yet character has been tastefully retained. This has been done to revitalise the area and this would in turn encourage good tenants and customers to the precinct."

There were several other issues of confusion, including claims Transport for NSW owned part of the site and a council report stating residents lived upstairs - both of which Mr Dion said were untrue.

He suggested council take an approach to this shopping strip that resembled the one taken with Lang's Corner at the lower end of the mall.

That site saw the facade retained and included in the finished building.

"Our preference is the retention of building facades," Mr Dion said.

"We ask council to consider this because when we look at Lang's Corner, we see a very, very good outcome."

With a number of issues flagged, Cr Tania Brown moved a motion that a decision on the Keira Street shops be deferred pending further investigations.

"That group of restaurants along there, it is their facade that is more of a heritage value than perhaps the entire building, which has been proposed, but I'm happy for further conversation to happen on that," Cr Brown said.

She agreed that the Lang's Corner development showed what was possible.

"I personally had some concerns about how that was all going to piece back together and whether it would retain its character," she said.

"I think they've done a really good job. They've shown that facade treatments can be protected and perhaps enhanced."

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