Progress has been made at the former Maitland Park Bowling Club, as re-opening of the site completes its first stage.
The car park has already re-opened, with the second stage being the opening of the grass thoroughfare beside the hockey fields.
The former club site had multiple issues since the closure of the club in 2022 due to financial stressors.
The club building was constructed in the early 1900s and extended in the 70s. For more than 120 years it was leased as a bowling club, holding the title of one of the oldest bowling clubs in Australia until its closure in 2022.
Following its closure, a fire razed the buildings in July, just after Maitland City Council began seeking input from commercial operators and the community regarding adaptive reuse of the premises, with hopes of re-establishing a club.
The buildings could not be saved and were demolished.
During site remediation it was found that the soil underneath the site was contaminated with asbestos, requiring the installation of sprinklers to keep down dust and protect the public.
Remediation works for the soil are expected to be completed by the end of the year.
Jeff Smith, General Manager of Maitland City Council, said the council appreciated the patience and understanding of the community.
“We’re looking forward to seeing people use the site once again,” he said.
