Newcastle's Clarendon Hotel is closing at the end of the year for a $33 million refurbishment expected to take a year to complete.
A development application by owners Stevens Group to extend the pub through to Wheeler Place, lodged with City of Newcastle in 2024, was approved late last year.
The Stevens Group bought the Clarendon Hotel and adjacent Fred Ash building from City of Newcastle in 2020, and later acquired the adjoining Bennett and Wood building.
Busan Chicken Hub's city restaurant, which has occupied the Bennett and Wood building since October 2024, has now closed.
The Fred Ash building has state-level heritage significance, while the entire site is within the Newcastle Heritage Conservation Area.
"The DA was approved late last year and we're currently preparing our construction documentation," Stevens Group development manager Mackenzie Stevens said.
"We'll be closing the pub and starting demolition later this year and aiming to have the hotel back open to the public by next Christmas.
"We saw the potential for the Clarendon Hotel from the start. The Clarendon and Fred Ash building have great fabric with so much history in Newcastle, and we knew we could do something special.
"Two years later we purchased the Bennett building, which secured our vision for the whole site."
The stated aim of the multimillion-dollar project, as outlined in the DA, is to "transform the precinct into an upscale boutique hotel and entertainment destination while preserving the site's art deco charm".
The hotel will be fully renovated with the addition of a lobby, cocktail bars, lounges, a commercial kitchen, an upgraded beer garden, and another 22 guest rooms.
Levels two, three and four of the Fred Ash building will be converted into a cocktail bar and boutique hotel spaces.
The Bennett building will become an extension of the Fred Ash building and continue to operate as a cafe, dining and function area, with outdoor seating facing Wheeler Place.
Stevens Group is working with EJE Architecture and Club Projects on the project.
Mr Stevens said the plan was to renovate the hotel rooms and pub "in one stage for a grand reopening".
"People can look forward to offerings they won't find at any other pub in Newcastle," he said.
"We're amalgamating three buildings into the one hotel: alfresco dining onto Wheeler Place will be a great city experience and the new Frederick Ash Lounge will bring this historic building back to life.
"The existing Clarendon beer garden will also undergo a full renovation and double in size, including a retractable roof and two new bars, [making it] the best beer garden in the city."
The pressed metal ceilings in the Fred Ash building will, he said, be a highlight of the new Frederick Ash Lounge, showcasing the original ceilings from when it was a hardware store.
"There will be minimal disruption to traffic and the Civic Theatre," Mr Stevens said.
"Construction deliveries will enter and exit via Burwood Street."
And for Busan Chicken Hub's many fans, the good news is you can still order Korean fried chicken from its Cardiff and Hamilton restaurants.
Owner and chef Hyunjin (Jin) Choi opened his tiny Cardiff restaurant in 2023.
"I started out with two staff members, me and another, and now I have about 15," he said.
Born and raised in Busan, South Korea, Mr Choi uses fresh ingredients, marinates the chicken for 24 hours before use, and simmers his sauces over a low flame to ensure they are "well-aged".
This commitment to freshness means he often sold out of chicken in the early days of Busan Chicken Hub.
People would line up outside to get their fix.
Busan Chicken Hub opened at 74 Beaumont Street, Hamilton, in early 2025 with a focus on "more authentic and traditional dishes, and some healthier options".
