Curtain Rises On Theatre Revamp

Newcastle Herald

Tuesday November 11, 2008

JACQUI JONES

AN art deco former cinema in Hunter Street's West End may be revamped as a function centre, bar and theatre.

Plans to revive the vacant Theatre Royal building have been lodged with Newcastle City Council.

The property was one of the city's first picture theatres and was run by the Hoyts corporation in the 1980s.

A group connected to the Newcastle Chahl family of property investors bought it in January 2006 for almost $2 million.

The previous owner of eight years, Tendomin, leased the building to the Royal Christian Ministry Centre.

A $500,000 internal renovation has been proposed.

ChahlCorp wants to build:

? A ground-floor function centre that caters for trade shows, conferences and parties.

? A mezzanine wine bar.

? An upper-level theatre to show films or hold lectures.

Suggested operating hours are noon to midnight at the bar and 7am to midnight for the other areas.

The application said the development would maintain the building's heritage value, reopen a disused place to the public and provide added security to the West End.

© 2008 Newcastle Herald

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