NEW details about the transformation of the old ambulance station site have been revealed, including plans to create an outdoor dining area for the proposed coffee lounge and cocktail bar.
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Vivability is busy finalising the design for the historic building following Bathurst council's decision to enter into a lease with the disability support agency at the end of 2023.
The building will become the home of a new coffee lounge and cocktail bar, as well as house Vivability's day programs, seeing its existing premises on William Street vacated.
The latter will be a new social enterprise, providing more opportunities for people with disabilities to be employed in hospitality.
Vivability has had success in this area before, with Café Viva already employing around a dozen people with disabilities, who receive award wages.
Demolition plans
Chief executive officer Nick Packham said there will be an outdoor dining component to the new coffee lounge and cocktail bar.
It will require the demolition of the carport attached to the side of the building, which was not an original feature of the ambulance station when it opened in March, 1929.
The old ambulance bay doors are proposed to be retained and would open out onto the new outdoor dining area.
"The coffee lounge will be situated in the old ambulance bay itself, and we'll be removing the carport and we'll open that up into a green space, so the coffee lounge will spill out through the original glass doors, the timber doors, into the green space," Mr Packham said.
![Vivability chief executive officer Nick Packham outside the former Bathurst Ambulance Station. Picture by James Arrow Vivability chief executive officer Nick Packham outside the former Bathurst Ambulance Station. Picture by James Arrow](/images/transform/v1/crop/frm/gfyFBZ2A3aREPWrpf4KzA3/27d28bf2-4536-45ea-b9d1-4c2bc55fc7bb.jpg/r0_280_4840_3393_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg)
A new infill building is also proposed to be constructed on the south eastern corner of the site.
It would be used for some of Vivability's day programs and contain an accessible bathroom and an elevator.
Given its position on the site, the new building is unlikely to be visible from William Street, however, Mr Packham said it "will need to be in keeping with the design of the existing building".
Heritage concerns
While there will be some big changes to the old ambulance station, inside and out, Vivability is working to ensure they complement the heritage of the nearly 100-year-old building.
In addition to that, the building will need to be updated to comply with today's building codes.
The Queen Victoria Building will be the inspiration in terms of striking the right balance between modern building standards and heritage.
"What we're hoping to do is basically restore what's here," Mr Packham said.
"We've consulted fairly widely with council's heritage adviser and certainly will be taking all of those views into consideration.
"We want this building to be a building that Bathurst continues to be proud of and will have access to a part of it."
Next steps
Mr Packham said Vivability is continuing to negotiate the lease agreement with Bathurst council.
After that is finalised, development applications for the site will be lodged.
The assessment and approval process of any DA can be unpredictable, but it is hoped the coffee lounge and cocktail bar will be operational before the end of 2024.
"It really will depend on the length of time that the DAs take," Mr Packham said.
"I think we can get in and get the work done for that first stage, but we'll be guided by council in terms of their requirements around that.
"It'd be nice to think we'll have a spring opening, though."
The work on the rest of the building would take more time, meaning Vivability's head office is likely to continue to operate from 16 William Street for up to another 18 months.
Vivability leases other sites across Bathurst as well and will consider moving those services into the old ambulance station building in future.