A new outdoor dining area and children’s play area, including mini basketball courts, will be provided in a $1 million upgrade of Taren Point Hotel.
Work is expected to start in about two months following development consent being given by Sutherland Shire Council.
A new outdoor area will be created to the north of the existing beer garden by extending the hotel over the present access to the drive-through bottle shop, between the hotel and an accommodation building.
The area will have fake grass, picnic tables, a food truck and little basketball courts.
“It will be a bit quirky, a bit like having a picnic out the back of the hotel,” the chief executive of the Feros Hotel Group, Chris Feros, said when the plans were unveiled in late 2016.
“We will also freshen up the rest of the hotel.”
The project includes alterations to the existing beer garden, public bar and restaurant / bistro, and other internal changes.
The building containing 10 motel style rooms and associated amenities will become office space and access to the drive-through bottle shop will be re-routed.
Mr Feros said approval of the DA had taken more than a year because it was low priority behind the opening of the group’s new hotels, The Prince at Kirrawee and Highfield Caringbah.
“We had some issues with the fun area and have been working with the council to get it right,” he said.
Mr Feros said there were no significant changes to the original DA.
“We plan to start work in about eight weeks’ time,” he said.
Mr Feros said the changes would enhance the hotel’s family-friendly feel.
“Taren Point has always been a good, happy, family, community based business,” he said.
“We have been there for 16 years and we know what the customers want.”
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