A MICRO brewery, marketplace, function centre, cafe, museum, luxury apartments and landscape courtyards – there are some big plans in place for Tremain’s Mill.
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When the historic mill, which dates back to 1859, first went on the market in early 2015, some community members feared that its heritage would be lost.
But new owners Stephen and Glenda Birrell said they were always keen to preserve as much of the heritage as they could.
“This is the Bathurst people’s place. Our vision is such that this will be a beautiful place that people can share,” Mr Birrell said.
Measuring 8522 square metres, with three street frontages – Havannah, Keppel and Manilla – the mill housed 20 tenants when the couple purchased it in May 2015.
The couple would like the site to become a meeting place for people among the mill’s historic buildings, and they have finally brought their masterplan to Bathurst Regional Council.
“They’ve been amazing, they couldn’t be more helpful … they want to see this heritage project work,” Mr Birrell said about council.
The Keppel Street entrance will be the first of the landscaped areas, with an outdoor eatery and two-storey restored historic building to the right, and Keppel Street Kindy (not part of the mill) on the left.
“When you come in off Keppel Street you walk into a secluded parkland where you can have a coffee or read a book,” Mr Birrell said.
From there, the courtyard will continue past a flour milling museum and cafe on the right (the former Country Bumpkin shop).
A function centre will be straight ahead (currently Bedwells Feed Barn) and it will retain much of its original architecture.
To the left of the function centre will be a micro brewery and bar with extensive seating planned.
The path between the function centre and the micro brewery will lead people towards another landscaped plaza and stage.
Also in the rear (north-east) of the site, five luxury apartments will be constructed within the existing Oregon timber silos.
The building will have a roof-top garden, and while the apartments will be luxurious on the inside, from the outside they will retain much of their heritage look.
The concrete silos will contain six short-stay studio apartments.
Parking will be located to the rear of the silos.
Mr and Mrs Birrell have been working with heritage architects throughout the process so far to ensure, they said, that the city was proud of the site.
“In reality, if the place is beautiful, people will come,” Mr Birrell said.
“It’ll be a nice place to work and a nice place to live.”
Mr Birrell acknowledged there was still a long way to go before the site is complete.
“It would be lovely to have it as a legacy to Bathurst,” he said.