New City Hall ramp revealed

The City of Newcastle today unveiled a newly restored section of City Hall as part of the architectural jewel's external restoration.

Hoarding was removed from the south-eastern vehicle ramp and facade along King Street, revealing a newly built driveway, and the footpath completely re-opened to pedestrians.

^{City Hall Project Manager Matthew Bennet and Lord Mayor Nuatali Nelmes at the newly-opened south ramp}

"We are painstakingly restoring this 1929 heritage building to endure as the Civic Precinct's showpiece, and the latest section is a major milestone in the project," Lord Mayor Nuatali Nelmes said.

"This large-scale conservation work is ensuring City Hall stands strong and proud in a pivotal precinct that will quickly grow in stature as a cultural and hospitality hub following last week's announcement of Newcastle's first five-star hotel in the Roundhouse building.

"The hotel's future guests will behold the beauty of City Hall from the comfort of their accommodation and tell their friends and relatives about it when they return home."

The highest quality self-colouring sandstone material has been used to replace ageing and damaged parts of the building, with the Sydney basin 'Yellowblock' sandstone excavated from a building site in George Street, Sydney.

The use of high-quality material will ensure the longevity of the building and help reduce future building maintenance.

While the south-eastern hoarding has come down, retractable bollards will remain at the base of the ramp to prevent vehicle access until the remaining work is completed on the southern façade.
Work to conserve the western and northern facade continues, with eastern construction compound still in place.

For more information on this project, visit the City Hall Restoration website.