After a short break over Easter, it’s time to take another look behind the safety screens at work underway to deliver one of council’s flagship projects in Ipswich’s emerging city heart.
The expansion of the Hotel Commonwealth in Nicholas Street Precinct is breathing new life into the iconic pub, roughly doubling its size by extending the century-old venue north towards the river to provide indoor and outdoor dining, a feature cocktail bar, beer garden and function rooms – all while maintaining the site’s charm and identity.
Seven months after demolition behind the heritage building cleared the footprint for the hotel’s extension, roofing is now fully installed across all the new structures including the modern amenities block attached to the side of the original hotel.
Throughout the old and new areas, installation of plumbing and other services continues within wall cavities and under the floors, while internal wall framing and lining is also well underway.
Over the coming weeks, lifts will start to be installed for access across the hotel’s three levels, the car park off Bremer Street will begin to take shape, and the mechanical plant needed to keep the hotel humming will commence installation on the new roof plant deck above the amenities building.
As the Hotel Commonwealth is one of the last remaining buildings to survive mass demolitions of the 1980s, restoring this local heritage provides Ipswich a precious link to the past while the modern expansion ensures the hotel can thrive as a gathering place for patrons well into the future.
AusHotels is ready and eager to take the reins when the expansion is soon complete, and they’ll then get started on furbishing the hotel and installing key equipment – including the all-important kegs – ready for first pours later this year.
Join us in two weeks’ time as we next peek behind the screens at the Nicholas Street Venue building, also on track to open its doors in late 2024.
