Council has submitted a development application to expand the heritage Commonwealth Hotel, raising the cost of the hotel’s refurbishment to more than $10 million. 

The new plans include fit-out works within the existing hotel building, and an extension of the hotel premises at the rear of the historic building, partly located on the Bell Street Green site. 

The extension is expected to cost ratepayers $5 million, after the heritage listed hotel was recently restored to enable it to continue to be used for commercial purposes under the Ipswich Planning Scheme. The restoration cost more than $6 million. 

The hotel extension was approved by the Ipswich City Council in June, contingent on the venue securing a long-term lease tenant, however, the new development application does not name the operator. 

The hotel has been operational on its 5 Union Street site for more than 100 years and was purchased by council in 2014 after the building was deemed unsafe. 

Fit out works within the hotel are expected to include a glass automatic sliding door on the ground floor to allow disability access to the toilets; construction of permanent stairs to replace the temporary stairs; infilling part of the void on the western side of the building for more dining space; and a lift to connect the main hotel level and the next floor.

 More works to the building include external paving and floor finishes, construction of a ‘long bar,’ new kitchen, scullery and associated food preparation spaces in a new building on the north west rear corner, new dining areas on the northern boundary, construction of a new two storey public toilet area and additional air conditioning services and lighting. 

The application noted the proposed hours of operation of the hotel are 24 hours a day, seven days a week, though trading hours may vary. 

 The proposed development is set to expand the total ground floor area of the building to 1,768sqm. 

In the application’s heritage impact report, it was noted that the extension was sensitively designed to respect the character values attributed to the historic building. 

“The Commonwealth Hotel has recently undertaken a major construction project where the largely derelict and dismantled building was reconstructed under a previous planning application,” the report outlined. 

“The level of reconstruction completed was purposefully left as a bare shell to allow a second stage development to be undertaken to enable the building to become a working hotel once again. 

 “The current planning application provides the required additional building components to support a modern hotel. 

“Great care has been taken to respect and enhance the Commonwealth Hotel in the design and placement of additions …. 

“An important aspect of the proposed expansion work is that very little change is proposed to the fabric of the building as it currently exists.
 “All new works are kept separate where possible with only the lightest of touches where there is a need for connection. 

 “New works are positioned to not visually overpower the Commonwealth Hotel and be sympathetic to its architectural form.” 

According to the Council, the hotel is expected to be operational in the first half of 2022.