Artist TS Zaracostas was commissioned to capture the "raw beauty" of the decaying site as a way to honour its place in the Illawarra's history, according to the president of the group Anne Marrett.

Read more: Priscilla Queen of the Desert rolls into Wollongong this week

"Coke working was incredibly important to development of Wollongong as an industrial powerhouse," she said.

"Rather than being a protest it's a tribute from the community to this site, to the heritage value of this site."

Around 50 paintings and sketches will go on exhibition as Stacks of Culture, from Friday August 5 at the Wollongong Art Gallery.

"The art project follows four years of wide community involvement in the proposed redevelopment of this iconic industrial site," Ms Marrett said.

"Residents have campaigned hard to retain the ecological, Aboriginal, and industrial heritage value."

Read more: Berry author targets mum-guilt and the underbelly of au pairs in new book

In May, the NSW Government gave the green light for the former coke works site off Railway Street to be rezoned to allow 550 new homes, a small neighbourhood centre with a supermarket and cafes, offices, and an outdoor amphitheatre.

Developers will still need to submit development applications to Wollongong City Council though before any major works can commence.

Over the past seven years, developers have faced opposition from various community groups, who have raised concerns about traffic, congestion, over-development and heritage.

However, in late 2021 when Wollongong City Council considered the rezoning plan, it found that barely 10 per cent of residents objected outright to the development.

Ms Marrett maintains the action group will continue to fight at every stage of the development in a big to preserve the "heritage" of the space.

Read more: New vibe, new look to lure younger audience to Illawarra Folk Fest

Stacks of Culture will be launched by Simon Hinton (Artistic Director/CEO Merrigong Theatre Company) 6-8pm, August 5 in the Community Access Gallery at the Wollongong Art Gallery. It will be open to the public until September 2.

We've made it a whole lot easier for you to have your say. Our new comment platform requires only one log-in to access articles and to join the discussion on the Illawarra Mercury website. Find out how to register so you can enjoy civil, friendly and engaging discussions. Sign up for a subscription here.