Maclean Civic Hall: Plans for $13m overhaul of River St facility

Take a look at what Maclean’s community hall is set to look like after a planned multimillion-dollar revamp including a slew of new features.

An artist impression of what Maclean community hall could look like.

A Clarence Valley town has grand ambitions for a new community centre after its existing facility was declared “unsuitable for its primary purpose”.

The Maclean Civic Hall at 48-50 River St could soon be demolished and replaced with “a modern, multipurpose facility”.

What it could look like – an artist impression of Maclean’s renewed community hall.

An application, lodged with Clarence Valley Council cites plans to build a new hall which could host around 288 people within a tiered theatre.

There are also plans for the hall to have a series of rooms used for different purposes — from meetings, to educational programs, to a gallery.

An artist impression of the community hall when viewed from River St.

Added to this, the council is pushing for a large covered deck area overlooking the Clarence River, located next to a new cafe, with potential future use as a bar.

Landscaping work is set to “create a new and vibrant public (outdoor) space

This space would be located between the council offices and the community hall.

It would include informal seating, new pathways and a terraced amphitheatre.

“In addition to opening up the site and providing a greater connection to the Clarence River, the open space, notably the amphitheatre, will cater for outdoor events such as informal performances, ceremonies, cinema nights, and other activities,” planning documents state.

An artist impression of the revamped community hall overlooking the Clarence River.

The push for a revamped community centre comes after the council announced plans for a new community precinct in Maclean in the middle of last year.

The proposal states the “current hall is unsuitable for its primary purpose” and “does not adequately meet community needs or expectations”.

Some reasons listed include the need for the hall to be the focal point of the town, have better access for seniors, improved sound quality and be able to host more people.

The current Maclean Civic Hall.

Planning documents also reference community feedback about the current community centre between May 2019 and March 2020.

“A further driver of expectations was the 2020 bushfires which consolidated the community’s desire for a well-resourced … facility that could offer a base for emergency services to operate from as required,” the documents state.

If the redevelopment is approved, the second stage of the planned revamp of Maclean will include a future development application to upgrade the existing council chambers.

Members of the public can lodge submissions until July 3.