Balgowlah RSL Memorial Club makes bid for $7.4m makeover
Alfresco areas, glass roofs and bars opening until 2am are some of the $7m makeover plans proposed for a popular northern beaches club.
Manly
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A popular club on the northern beaches is pushing for a massive $7 million makeover.
And, at the same time, Balgowlah RSL Memorial Club wants to extend its bar opening hours to 2am, seven days a week.
Details of the extensive refurbishment of the premises in the Seaforth town centre, are contained in a development application lodged with Northern Beaches Council last week.
The club, which opened its original club house in Ethel St in 1956 and now has more than 11,500 members and about 85 staff, supports 80 local charities and junior sporting groups.
It now wants to demolish part of the front section of the club to allow for the $7.4m in alterations and additions.
The new proposal comes six years after it went through a massive renovation in 2018 that included the addition of improved function areas and the high-end The Wine Room Bar & Restaurant.
As part of the proposed new changes the club wants to demolish the existing ground floor general lounge and cafe as well as the TAB and smoking areas.
It then wants to rebuild the lounge, cafe, TAB and smoking areas with the addition of a new “operable” glass roof and landscaping. The gross floor area will increase by close to 86 square metres.
The proposal includes a minor change to the building height, but it would still be below the local 12.5m maximum building height rules.
Club officials also want to extend the hours of its bar area from 10am to 2am, seven days a week.
The bars are now open from 10am to midnight from Sunday to Tuesday and 10am to 1am, the rest of the week.
Louvres and retractable panels in the proposed outdoor area would be shut from 10pm to cut down noise.
In a Statement of Environmental Effects attached to the DA, the club’s planning consultant Lance Doyle pointed out that the design and location for the proposed alterations and additions would “not result in any unreasonable amenity impacts to adjoining properties or the public domain”.
Mr Doyle wrote it would “provide a visually interesting facade”.
“(The proposal would) remain in keeping with the character of the streetscape,” Mr Doyle wrote.
“The proposed extended operating hours have been assessed by accredited acoustic experts who advise that the proposal, in terms of the acoustic environmental impacts, will remain within acceptable levels.”
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