Dee Why RSL Club: Plans approved for $10.7m refurbishment
One of Sydney’s biggest and most popular registered clubs has been granted permission for a $10.7m refurb so it can keep up with demand from members and guests.
NSW
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One of the northern beaches’ most popular clubs is set to start a major $10.7m facelift so it can cope with its growing popularity.
It comes just four years after Dee Why RSL Club completed a mammoth $100m makeover.
The 88-year-old club has just been given planning permission to boost dining options for its 77,000 members — and guests — by adding a 140-seat a la carte Asian-style restaurant and a new cafe.
It can also increase the space between poker machines and consolidate existing gaming area into just one location containing pokies.
The outside of the building will also get a new look.
In its written decision, the Northern Beaches Local Planning Panel noted that the internal changes meant that none of the pokies will now be near bars or eateries.
Club management, in documents lodged with the development application to Northern Beaches Council, stated that the “upgrades seek to … better cater to its 77,000 members and the public”.
“The club is currently experiencing extensive demand which it cannot meet with the existing premises,” the report states.
“(It) will provide more jobs and improve a local club that is a common meeting location for local residents.”
The refurbishment also includes moving a cafe, increasing the size of the bistro and enclosing what is now an outdoor area on level 2.
While the pokies’ area would increase in size, the club made it clear that it was not increasing the number of poker machines.
“Since the Covid-19 pandemic, members and guests have voiced a strong preference for social spacing between gaming machines,” according to a plan of management lodged with the DA.
“This DA is a direct response to this feedback and will facilitate additional space between machines.”
The pokies will be 1m apart.
Documents also reveal a proposal to relocate the club entry on Pittwater Rd to a more central location, closer to a bus stop.
The outside upgrades to the facade include decorative screening and wall cladding.
“The intention of the facade is to provide an architectural statement, not only to the club, but also to signify the arrival at the northern end of Dee Why Town Centre,” according to a statement of environmental effects.
“The facade comprises multiple aluminium panels with stone detailing set in a metal frame and is curved to soften the buildings appearance and reduce the bulk and scale.”
In 2021, the club completed a $100m refurbishment, which included include a six-level carpark, multiple eateries, entertainment areas, a new sports bar as well as a new entrance and foyer.
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Originally published as Dee Why RSL Club: Plans approved for $10.7m refurbishment
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