Gym, hotel approved for Ipswich City Council’s Nicholas St Precinct

About 100 construction jobs are expected to be created in the new year, with two major developments approved for the Nicholas Street Precinct.

Ipswich City Council’s $250 million Nicholas Street Precinct redevelopment project is making progress, with plans for a 24-hour gym and hotel extension approved this week.

The ground floor of the mall’s dining hub – commonly known as the Eats building – will be tenanted to up to seven food and drink outlet operators, while the upper level will be tenanted to a gym operator.

Refurbishment of the Eats building is estimated to cost the council $5 million excluding tenant fit-out costs, and the Commonwealth Hotel extension is estimated to cost between $3.5 million and $4 million.

The organisation has already spent more than $6 million restoring the historic 111-year-old pub, which it acquired in 2014.

An artist's impression of the refurbished Commonwealth Hotel depicts a lift shaft connecting the main hotel level and the next floor up. Picture: Supplied

A council spokeswoman said the prospective tenants of each area will remain commercial in confidence until legal negotiations are finalised.

She was however able to confirm that the first restaurant on the ground floor of the Eats building will be mouth-watering eatery, That Dumpling Place.

Restaurateurs Janet Cao and David Wang have already commenced fitting out their rented space and hope to open their shop to patrons in the coming months.

The restaurant will be Ms Cao and Mr Wang’s third outlet in Queensland, alongside their previous Fat Dumpling eateries at Fortitude Valley and Bowen Hills.

Ipswich City Council submitted development applications to itself for a new gymnasium and an extension of the Commonwealth Hotel in September this year.

A council spokeswoman said the applications were considered ‘sensitive development matters’ and were therefore reviewed by an independent decision review panel.

“The panel concluded that it is satisfied with the intention of the proposed council recommendation, being to recommend approval of the application subject to conditions,” she said.

A town planning report submitted by the council stated the ground floor area of the gym will be 795 square metres, and the tenancy fit-out will include the provision of amenities for gym staff and members.

The facility will operate 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

A council spokeswoman said works will not commence on the gym until the agreement for lease is signed by the tenant, which is expected to occur in the new year.

“At this stage it is too early (to) say when it will open but the ambition is for around Easter 2022,” she said.

“Eats construction duration (including refurbishment of the upper level which includes the proposed gym tenancy) could have about 20 to 30 contractors on site at various stages.”

Meanwhile, works on extending the Commonwealth Hotel are also projected to commence in the new year but the finished building will likely not open until late next year or early 2023.

The back of the Commonwealth Hotel, where the extension will occur in the new year.

Refurbishment of the pub, which is now valued at $8.6 million according to the council, will involve fit-out works within the existing hotel building and an extension at the rear.

Its floor area will increase from about 914 square metres to 1768 square metres.

“The extension build requires detailed preparation and an appointment of a number of specialist contractors by both landlord and tenant,” the council spokeswoman said.

“Construction of the extension could have an estimated 70 to 80 contractors on site throughout the various stages of construction.”

The number of jobs to be created in operation of the gym and the hotel once tenanted are, at this stage, unknown.