Bayside Council has selected its preferred design for the long-awaited cafe at Cahill Park, Wolli Creek.
The prefered design is for a 47 square-metre cafe with a 102 sqm covered outdoor seating area to be located adjacent to the park’s new playground.
The approval is the next step in the evolution of Cahill Park to become a major recreational destination for the Wolli Creek area.
The park is undergoing a major upgrade after the council endorsed the Cahill Park Masterplan in March, 2018.
The Cahill Park playground was completed and opened in September, 2017 and has proven to be a huge success, increasing the number of residents visiting the park.
The council had three options for the park, to build either a kiosk, a cafe or a restaurant.
The kiosk option was for a 37 square-metre enclosed eating area with a 56sqm outdoor eating area, while the restaurant option was for a 309sm enclosed eating area and a 240sqm outdoor seating area. This option would had a much larger kitchen.
The successful cafe option has been costed at $2.1 million and will include a new 102sqm public amenities block including accessible toilet and baby change facility.
The kiosk option was costed at $1.67 million and the restaurant option at $3.4 million.
The council will design and submit a development application which will be examined by an independent assessor as it goes through the approval process.
It is proposed to construct the building to a ‘cold shell’ level allowing a future tenant to fit out the cafe as they desire.
The council’s 2018-19 City Projects Program includes funding for the design and documentation of the Cahill Park cafe and amenities building.
The cafe will be part of the multi-million dollar upgrade of Cahill Park which includes a new seawall at Wolli Creek, a new picnic area, new pathways and lighting and a fenced dog off-leash area.
Funding for the $2.5 million park upgrade is coming from the state government’s Stronger Communities Fund.
An additional $1.4 million is being spent on the remediation and construction of an environmentally friendly seawall on the foreshores of the Cooks River adjoining Cahill Park at Wolli Creek.
