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Crown Jewel

  • November 09, 2016

Crown Jewel The former Newcastle Courthouse, originally built in 1890, will go under the hammer on 15 December. The 5237-square-metre precinct, zoned B4 Mixed Use zone, is just 200 metres from Newcastle Beach and includes three separate buildings and car parking. Described by Hunter Director, Andrew Fletcher, as “one of the most special pieces of real estate on the east coast of Australia”, the site has been valued at around $6.6 million. “There is no other city on the eastern seaboard with a significant parcel of land in such a prime location.” “Provided the government puts the site to market in a way that doesn’t constrain adaptive re-use of the old Courthouse building, we could see unprecedented demand.” The state’s heritage register describes the courthouse as an “impressive Victorian Italianate building” which “provides an impressive terminating focal point to Bolton Street”. The sale itself is likely to trigger another outbreak of the perennial Newcastle debate over heritage versus development. The heritage status of the original building is certain to impose limits on what can be built either side, and the presence of an active and substantial police station, immediately next door, will also be a planning consideration. Whatever happens, the courthouse cannot be allowed to become another Newcastle post office. The successful bidder must be able to profit on some part of the deal if they are to plough money into expensive preservation. Other cities handle such projects with aplomb. So can Newcastle.