Crowne Plaza plans Newcastle return as planners seek Wickham tower height cut

newy.com.au – Crowne Plaza plans to return to Newcastle with a 171-room hotel beside Newcastle Interchange, in a proposed 43-storey tower that state planners have asked to be cut to 38 storeys.

IHG Hotels & Resorts has announced an agreement with Urban Property Group for the hotel at 10 Dangar Street, Wickham, targeting a late-2029 opening. The development remains under assessment, with planners seeking changes to its height, floor space and design.

The hotel would bring the brand back to Newcastle at a different location from its former Honeysuckle waterfront property. That hotel opened in March 2003 and became Rydges Newcastle in March 2018.

Plans by architect SJB place the new hotel in the building’s lower podium, beneath the residential tower. They show king, double, premium and accessible rooms, along with junior suites, and balconies for each room on a typical accommodation floor.

Dining and bar areas would occupy level six, facing north-east towards the harbour, alongside a health club, indoor recreation areas and a pool. IHG has announced more than 550 square metres of meeting and event space, including a 425-square-metre ballroom.

The environmental impact statement proposes a maximum of 250 ballroom patrons, with operating hours from 7am to midnight daily. It also proposes capacity for 100 patrons in the dining area and 65 in the bar. These arrangements, like the building’s design, remain subject to assessment.

The site sits immediately north of the interchange. Landscape plans show an east-west pedestrian connection, a station-facing public plaza and a smaller landscaped hotel arrival area on Dangar Street, with seating, outdoor dining terraces and native gardens. Three street-level retail premises are proposed for convenience and hospitality businesses, although their fit-outs would require separate approval.

The Department of Planning, Housing and Infrastructure has sought revised plans limiting the tower to 38 storeys, or 134 metres, with a corresponding reduction in floor space. It said the lost height should not be offset by making the building bulkier.

While supporting the ambition for a landmark near the interchange, the department raised concerns about the proposed scale, wind conditions, overshadowing, access and public spaces. Its request for revisions is not approval for a 38-storey building.

City of Newcastle also objected, questioning the justification for the additional height and density and whether the proposed public benefits were adequate. Its submission raised concerns about parking, servicing, apartment design and the duration of the affordable housing commitment.

The exhibited plans included 42 affordable apartments, as well as 99 co-living rooms. A registered community housing provider would manage the affordable apartments for at least 15 years.

Apartment residents would have a separate level-six terrace with barbecues, outdoor dining, gardens and an outdoor cinema, while co-living residents would have shared outdoor space on level seven. Separate entrances are proposed for the hotel, apartments and co-living accommodation.

Parking is another point of contention. The transport report allocates 197 of the proposed 215 basement spaces to apartments, 10 to hotel staff, six to retail staff and two to car sharing. It lists no dedicated spaces for hotel guests, apartment visitors or co-living residents.

The project’s traffic consultants argue that limited parking is appropriate given the nearby train, light rail and bus services, and shops and other facilities within walking distance. Basement access would be from Dangar Street, with a separate servicing route entering from Dangar Street and exiting to Charles Street.

The site, previously associated with the Bowline project, already has a history of approved development at a substantially smaller scale. A 14-storey building was approved in 2019, followed by three additional residential levels in 2022. Urban acquired the site in 2025 before pursuing the larger proposal through the state-significant development process.