Council voted unanimously to approve the transformation of 90 Market Street, Mudgee, into the region's art gallery and tourist information centre.
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The approval includes the erection of a new building and re-use of the existing former Cudgegong Shire building, to be used as an information and education facility. Only the rear verandah of the existing building will be removed - which is a later addition and not considered significant - with minor wall openings for the connection to the new building.
The existing building's ground floor will house; five office spaces for the administration and management team of the art gallery and tourist hub; a new kitchenette and lunch room; and an elevator shaft, to be installed in one of the rear rooms. With the upper floor to contain; one large gallery/seminar room; and one smaller gallery/breakout room.
The new building will provide; a central reception area that opens onto the tourist hub, art gallery, workshop and café; back-of-house areas, including storage rooms, loading dock and services at the rear; and separate male and female amenities adjacent to the reception area.
It will be set at an angle across the site to ensure all four elevations of the existing building remain visible from the surrounding streets. And will be lower in height than the existing building with greater setbacks to the front boundary for the existing building to maintain its prominence on the corner of Douro and Market streets.
The submissions received on the project raised the concern that the modern style and size of the new building clashes with the character of the existing building and its setting. However, the report presented to Council responded; the new building works to the constraints of the site; the edge between the old and new building is clearly discernible; the modern part is set back and lower; there'll be no adverse impact on heritage character.
The site will also include a 6m wide ingress/egress driveway and 11 car parking spaces, which will be combined with 27 on-street spaces. The three peppercorn trees along Market Street will be retained, although 16 trees will be removed - this was not considered to have a significant impact on the streetscape and heritage conservation area.
Hours of operation for the art gallery, tourist hub, café and events are proposed to be 8am to 10pm, seven days per week. And will have eight/nine staff on site at any one time, including the café.
An interpretation plan for the existing building is to be prepared by a heritage consultant, to set out recommendations for introduced material and presentation to convey its heritage significance. And a photographic archival record of the building is to be approved by Council prior to the issue of a Construction Certificate.
