New restaurant expands "eat street'

A Mexican restaurant named Beach Burrito Company is to join the popular and highly competitive “eat street” dining precinct in Church Street

4 Eyes Pty Ltd has approval to use first floor and dome/mezzanine level, plus a ground-floor café, at 306 Church Street, on the north-east corner of the Church and Philip streets intersection.

The majority of the ground floor of the heritage-listed building is occupied by Liana’s restaurant, which will continue to operate.

The approval allows for the construction of a bar, kitchen area and seating for 18 tables on the first floor – 15 tables, 112 seats, 10 bar seats and three booth areas – and six tables and 30 chairs within the dome/mezzanine level, plus seven tables and 42 chairs on the Phillip Street entrance.

Approximately 10 people would be employed in what was once an ANZ Bank branch, opened in 1889; the building features a dome based on that of the Cathedral of St Maria de Fiore, in Florence, Italy.

An earlier approved development application (DA) for the inclusion of a rooftop bar and restaurant seating was not taken up.

Elsewhere in the CBD, council approved a DA for the expansion of a non-licensed restaurant, Terrace Café/Restaurant, at 399 Church Street, to the first and second floors, bring the total on all three floors to 166 seats.

One of Parramatta’s established restaurants, Courtney’s Brasserie, has relocated from 70 Phillip Street to 30-32 Charles Street.

RSL Club on the move

The Parramatta RSL Club would sacrifice its bowling greens to build a new facility at a cost of $55 million.

The proposed new, one-level building, east of the current one on the western side of the 1.1-hectare site, at 2 Macquarie Street, would be constructed on the club’s three bowling greens.

The club, which would continue to trade while part of the basement car park and the new building was constructed, would subsequently be demolished.

The statement of environmental effects prepared by the professional consulting firm, Urbis, for Paynter Dixon, on behalf of the landowner, the Castle Hill RSL Group, noted the bowling greens would not be replaced.

“The loss of the three existing bowling greens reflects falling interest and bowling membership as well as a change in sporting preference and demography associated with residents and workers within Parramatta CBD”, the report said.

The report said the siting and orientation of the building had been designed to enhance the O’Connell-Macquarie street corner and provide outdoor lounge areas along the O’Connell Street frontage

Urbis said the proposal provided an improved outcome than currently exists on the site

“The club is taking this opportunity to re-develop the site and provide an enhanced and contemporary hospitality venue with increased benefits to its members and guests, as well as workers and residents of the Parramatta CBD and broader area,” the report said.

Surface and basement parking, totally 699 spaces, consists of  77 surface spaces located on the western portion of the site, 275 spaces at basement level 1, 172 spaces at basement level 2 and  175 spaces at basement level 3.

The existing car park facility owned by the RSL on the southern side of Macquarie Street, opposite the club, would continue to be used.