Disability support service Multitask plans to open cafe, art gallery at Lismore

A new cafe and gallery has been proposed for Lismore’s CBD, staffed by locals living with disabilities. See what’s planned.

Multitask CEO Jody Cheetham.

A new cafe and gallery has been proposed for Lismore’s CBD, staffed by locals living with disabilities.

Disability support provider Multitask has flagged plans to turn the old Commonwealth Bank and Red Inc building on Magellan St into a vibrant new hub for people living with disabilities to gain “real-life experience and training in hospitality, catering, and retail”.

“We’re going to try and work with registered training organisations to get (clients) certificates in retail and hospitality with a balance of classroom and hands on experience,” Multitask CEO Jody Cheetham said.

Ms Cheetham said the cafe would also host a gallery space with Multitask planning to bring in guest artists to run sessions.

“And I want to create a retail space to sell local artists’ work; anything from pottery to woodwork to paintings,” she said.

Multitask also intends to run weekly evening cooking classes, to build participants‘ skills in meal planning, shopping, preparation and cooking. The classes will not be open to the general public.

The blank canvas for the new cafe and gallery.

The project would see the space converted to a cafe with new kitchen and fittings installed, disability accessible bathroom facilities and fresh paint and signage for the building.

The site would be “fully affected” by a one-in-100-year flood event, but would not contribute to increased flooding in the area.

The proposal includes increasing the height of the roof in the gallery area with hoists to provide flood storage.

The facility will be staffed by locals living with disabilities.

“This measure will provide for all equipment to be lifted to the elevated flood storage level, thereby reducing potential loss of equipment and permitting the cafe to re-open at the earliest opportunity, post flood,” town planner Damien Chapelle stated in planning documents.

Multitask has provided support to in the Lismore area since 1952 and is also currently building a new headquarters on the corner of Molesworth and Woodlark streets where Planet Music was located.

Ms Cheetham hopes to open the HQ before Christmas.

The development proposal is on public exhibition and submissions can be made on the Lismore City Council website.