A renovation of a former café site at one of the city’s most popular parks will kick off later this year as City of Newcastle breathes new life into the historic Lambton Park building.
Constructed in the 1940s as a baby health centre, the building will be modernised into an accessible café designed to become a hub for social connection and inclusion.
A development application for the upgrade was given the green light in March, with the project now receiving a $1 million boost through the NSW Government’s Crown Reserves Improvement Fund.
City of Newcastle’s Executive Director of Corporate Services David Clarke said the project will enhance the community’s use and enjoyment of the popular Lambton Park precinct.
“We are committed to delivering a range of projects that nurture connected, inclusive communities,” Mr Clarke said.
“We thank the NSW Government for its significant investment into this project, which will help City of Newcastle deliver the first major adaptive reuse of this historic building since its construction more than 80 years ago.”
“The café upgrades will not only enhance the use of the building as an accessible and inclusive space but also encourage use of the wider park area and amenities.”
NSW Minister for Lands and Property Steve Kamper said the NSW Government was committed to delivering much-needed upgrades to communities across the state.
“The grant to improve Lambton Park is part of $11 million that is being offered by the Crown Reserves Improvement Fund statewide to support community-focused projects,” Mr Kamper said.
“The NSW Government is focused on building better communities and these projects will keep our public reserves safe and healthy and support industry and the cultural, sporting and recreational life of communities to benefit many thousands of people.”
Member for Wallsend Sonia Hornery said the Crown Reserves Improvement Fund provides grants to maintain and upgrade reserves and community facilities on Crown land.
“Lambton Park is an important space for our community and this funding from City of Newcastle and the NSW Government will enable the community to continue to use this historic site,” Ms Hornery said.
“The Tea Rooms were a fantastic addition to the Elder Street commercial area and I’m looking forward to seeing what the new café site will bring to the Lambton community.”
The upgrade will include the installation of a new commercial kitchen, accessible bathroom facilities and the reconfiguration of the building into a more attractive and accessible open-plan design.
Bi-fold doors from the café space will open onto a new rear deck extension overlooking the nearby children’s playground, which will provide accessible ramp access for parents with prams and people with mobility issues.
A preferred tenderer for the construction of the project is expected to be confirmed mid this year, with work on the upgrade to begin in the final quarter of 2025.
Chair of City of Newcastle’s Infrastructure Strategic Advisory Committee, Councillor Peta Winney-Baartz, said the project will breathe new life into a currently unused building.
“Lambton Park is a cherished community hub offering a range of active and passive recreational opportunities that are popular with local residents and visitors,” Cr Winney-Baartz said.
“This building has long been a space for social connection, from its original use as a baby health clinic to its reinvention as tea rooms in 2017.”
“We look forward to its revitalisation as a café, which will complement the surrounding community facilities and contribute to the role Lambton Park plays in meeting the recreational and social needs of our local residents.”
IMAGE | City of Newcastle’s Executive Director of Corporate Services David Clarke, Member for Wallsend Sonia Hornery and Chair of City of Newcastle’s Infrastructure Strategic Advisory Committee, Councillor Peta Winney-Baartz outside the former baby health centre, which will be transformed this year by City of Newcastle into a new café.
