Newcastle council says design changes for the city's $43 million art gallery redevelopment will not delay the project.
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City of Newcastle has lodged an application to modify its approved plans for Newcastle Art Gallery, which is due to reopen in late 2024.
The proposed changes include adding metal fins and an electronic sign to the building's Darby Street facade, a "minor" reconfiguration of the gallery's internal layout and extending an atrium roof.
The gallery closed almost 18 months ago and was due to reopen in mid-2024 after extensive underground mine grouting and construction of an expanded gallery and storage space.
Councillors voted in April to award a $43.8 million construction contract to Hansen Yuncken with an anticipated completion date of late next year.
A City of Newcastle spokesperson said on Wednesday that the latest design changes were "common practice with any major construction project as part of the design resolution process".
"The expansion of the Newcastle Art Gallery remains on track, with construction scheduled for completion in late 2024," the spokesperson said.
"An 18-month construction program will begin with site establishment in June following the completion of the mine grouting and verification works.
"The remediation of the historic mine tunnels 80 metres below the building was required to ensure the safety of the site ahead of the main expansion works.
"These minor changes will not impact delivery or result in any delays to the timeframe for the Newcastle Art Gallery expansion."
The project will double the exhibition space of the Laman Street gallery and add a new cafe and gallery shop.
The council is paying for half the redevelopment, the state and federal governments have committed $5 million each, Newcastle Art Gallery Foundation $10.5 million and the Margaret Olley Art Trust $500,000.
The council is seeking a further $2.5 million via the gallery foundation's fundraising campaign.
The council has voted to write to the NSW and federal governments to ask for their committed funding to be indexed in line with inflation.
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Michael Parris
Michael Parris reports on politics for the Newcastle Herald. He started at the Herald in 1994 after working in the ABC Newcastle newsroom. Michael spent much of his career as a sub-editor before moving into political reporting in 2017. He was a finalist in the Sports Australia national media awards for his stories about a male-only tennis club in Newcastle. He has covered NSW and federal elections, state and federal budgets and local politics. He has also written extensively about the COVID-19 pandemic with a special focus on data analysis and the effects of lockdowns on the Hunter community.
Michael Parris reports on politics for the Newcastle Herald. He started at the Herald in 1994 after working in the ABC Newcastle newsroom. Michael spent much of his career as a sub-editor before moving into political reporting in 2017. He was a finalist in the Sports Australia national media awards for his stories about a male-only tennis club in Newcastle. He has covered NSW and federal elections, state and federal budgets and local politics. He has also written extensively about the COVID-19 pandemic with a special focus on data analysis and the effects of lockdowns on the Hunter community.
