Hotelier Jerry Schwartz has announced plans to open a small bar and function room, to be supplied by an in-house brewery, in a newly built commercial space in Honeysuckle.
The venture will be located on the ground floor of the Crossing apartment block in Merewether Street.
Dr Schwartz sold the land to Doma developments in 2018 under the arrangement that he would receive one of the block's commercial spaces upon completion.
The brewery, to be installed in the adjacent Centenary Drive property owned by Dr Schwartz, is part of the soon to be opened hospitality training college.
A similar brewery operates at Crowne Plaza Hunter Valley.
Dr Schwartz, who also owns the nearby Rydges Hotel, is planning to lodge plans for the project with the City of Newcastle in the near future with a view to opening the venue in mid-2024.
The project will also require a liquor licence.
"I have my existing (Rydges) hotel liquor licence, which could be extended, but I think it would be better to get an independent licence," he said.
He said he expected the brewery and bar would employ 40, mostly part-time, staff when fully operational.
"We plan to configure (the bar) so that it can have a meeting area and function area. It will work in conjunction with the hotel so if they want to have special functions they can come to the brewery." he said.
Dr Schwartz said he expected the training college, brewery and bar would provide a significant boost to the local economy.
"We are particularly excited about these projects," he said.
"There will be great training opportunities for people in the school. Not only for food and beverage but the also the cooking and the serving aspects.
"The brewery will allow people to see firsthand and participate in the making of the beer. The bar and function centre will give people another reason to visit the area."
Dr Schwartz is also hoping to introduce a seaplane service from Sydney to Newcastle harbour. The plan is dependent on the plane being able to pull up at an existing wharf.
"I have no doubt the demand exists," he said.
"We need to get a pontoon at the wharf so the plane can come up onto the pontoon."
"It has always been very difficult to get to the Hunter without a car. There is no train service, no regular bus service and no plane service. That's why I introduced my own charter service," Dr Schwartz said in 2021.
