Renovations in the Roxy Cafe, April 2010. Conversion from its prior use as a Chinese Cafe

In 2009, the Gwydir Shire Council and the Bingara Historical Society were successful in their joint application for Federal funding to reinstate the Greek café within the Roxy building.

A grant of $750,000 was announced for the restoration of the Roxy original Greek art deco café, construction of a conference centre on the first floor and restoration of the art deco shopfront.

16 persons were appointed to a Committee to oversee the restoration and renovation work. Representatives were drawn from the Gwydir Council, architects from Magoffin & Deakin (Armidale), Bingara residents and community groups, Greek/Kytherian Australians, and the Roxy management. The first meeting was held in December 2009.

Minutes of the the first Committee Meeting, December 2009

The Roxy Café Restoration Project is underway, and is on course to meet the June 30 deadline for completion. Until this time there will be very few events held at The Roxy.

The $750,000 granted by the Federal Government for the Roxy cafe renovation must be spent by June 30, 2010 General Manager, Max Eastcott advised last week’s council meeting, held in Warialda. The project is to create a Greek café reminiscent of one operating in the 1930s, similar to the Paragon Café in Katoomba, he said.

Councillors David Rose and Catherine Egan were nominated as the two Shire Councillors on the project management committee. The committee will work with Armidale based Heritage Architect, Tony Deakin to complete the design work and monitor the progress of the work and the overall budget. It will also have some input into plans for the future of the Roxy complex.

Councillors raised the issue of a business plan, Cr Egan asking “would it not be wise to have a business plan in place for the completion of the project?” Organisational Development Director, Leeah Daley assured Cr Egan that there would be a business plan in place when the building is completed.

General Manager, Max Eastcott advised council that if the trade training component gains government funding, that aspect of the project, which involves students studying commercial cookery, will need to be worked into the plan.

The tourist office will be relocated to permit a lift to be installed to provide disabled access to the first floor of the building. The plan is to see the office move to the premises currently occupied by the Barraba Veterinary Clinic. Mr Eastcott commented that finding a suitable space for the veterinary practice is proving difficult.

Cr Egan suggested that the Warialda Information Centre is extremely generous in proportions saying, “If we need as much space as we have in the Warialda Information Centre, why can’t the tourist office go to the emporium and set up there?” Mrs Daley said she thought “that would be a perfect scenario.”

However, Cr David Rose was not at all supportive, suggesting that buying the emporium would be only the start and that such a move would take far more money to achieve than the current grant.