Construction work on the old Spotlight building has exposed a slice of Newcastle's architectural past, but the heritage revival will be short-lived.
The former Marcus Clark department store once stood at 711 Hunter Street in Newcastle West.
The handsome building had a 1920s facade, though the corner cupola and parapets of the original structure were removed in the 1960s.
The building, which formerly housed Spotlight and Muso's Corner, is not listed on the NSW heritage register but was part of Hunter Street's collection of ornate facades.
In recent decades the facade has been hidden under metal cladding. The removal of that cladding last week drew interest on social media from heritage lovers.
Hunter Street Properties has recently begun construction on a 31-storey, mixed-use development on the site, which will boast two towers with 191 apartments and office space that will be leased by Newcastle Greater Mutual (NGM) Group.
The City of Newcastle gave approval in December for the entire site to be demolished.
A spokesperson for Hunter Street Properties confirmed the entire site would be demolished as part of the planned redevelopment.
Former owners of the site, St Hilliers and The Spotlight Group, said in 2023 that maintaining the 1920s facade in the new development would be "reviewed down the track".
The new NGM headquarters will be located on the southern end of the site, fronting King Street, which previously housed Lounge Lovers.
The NGM Group had been searching for a new home after the 2023 merger of Greater Bank and Newcastle Permanent.
A spokesperson for the NGM Group said the staff were expected to move into the new office space in 2028.
"While the development includes ground-floor retail space, NGM Group will occupy the remainder of the building, bringing together employees from our head office and the Newcastle Permanent and Greater Bank contact centres," the spokesperson said.
"We're currently in the design process for the building's internal spaces, focusing on creating a modern, collaborative and sustainable workplace.
"The development is targeting a 5.5 Star NABERS Energy rating and a 5 Star Green Star rating, incorporating features such as rooftop solar and electric vehicle charging points to support our long-term sustainability objectives."
