Knocking down the City Diggers club to build a 110-room hotel is part of a significant development said to include "three towers" on the edge of Wollongong's Crown St Mall.
Plans to sell the club, to be voted on by Wollongong Golf Club members next week, include talk of the major development over a wider area of property around Church St and Globe Lane.
"The Globe Precinct", as it is referred to, would activate the deserted David Jones building and the eastern side of the Globe Lane entertainment strip.
It would be undertaken by a consortium which includes 171crown Pty Ltd, the company which owns the David Jones building and carpark - and will add the City Diggers Club if its sale is approved by members.
Development approval for demolishing the Diggers and building the hotel may depend on winning consent for the wider plans which would go before Wollongong City Council.
"The club and the strategic partner have discussed the possibility of developing the Church St property in conjunction with plans the strategic partner has to develop a new city precinct known as The Globe Precinct across three towers.
"The proposed development of the Church St property will be the subject of development approval within a broader contact of other commercial and hospitality offerings."
Elsewhere it says the application "may also relate to the wider development of the strategic partner's sites".
The sole director of 171crown Pty Ltd is Unanderra engineering firm head Danny Ashbolt.
Mr Ashbolt referred the Mercury's questions about the Globe Precinct to MMJ town planning directer Luke Rollinson, the consortium's spokesman, who said it would be "inappropriate" to comment at this stage.
"We are mindful of the forthcoming vote before the Wollongong Golf Club general meeting next Thursday 21st September 2023, and are unable to disclose/publish further information which could potentially prejudice the club and its members from due process," Mr Rollinson said.
It is not yet clear which major developer is involved in the Globe consortium.
The big brick of the David Jones building, windowless above the ground floor, has occupied pride of place in the Crown St Mall for decades but is empty and for lease after its titular tenant moved into Wollongong Central.
Wollongong Golf Club's proposal to members includes that a new City Diggers would be constructed, likely on the ground floor of the hotel, with the fitout estimated at $3.97 million.
This would come from site sale proceeds of $7 million which the consortium would pay the golf club.
The proposal states this is more than the $6.5 million valuation obtained for the City Diggers site. It is not clear when this valuation was taken.
The property was given an unimproved land value of $4 million in July 2022.
The memorial on the corner of the building, on the corner of Church and Burelli streets, is unlikely to survive the hotel plan in its present form.
But the RSL sub-branch has been assured the memorial would be incorporated into the hotel/new club plans in some way.
Ben Langford
Senior journalist writing on the environment. Opinion columnist, independent. We rely on your news tips so please, don't be shy to let us know what's going on.
Senior journalist writing on the environment. Opinion columnist, independent. We rely on your news tips so please, don't be shy to let us know what's going on.
