The master-planned regional NSW township of Googong, found a little outside Canberra, is set to welcome a new hotel and entertainment hub to its Town Centre development.
A Development Application will be lodged shortly for hotel, that will seat over 700 throughout venue, including 400 seats in dining areas. The venue is set to be family friendly, with a built-in children’s play area.
The pub will become part of the self-contained planned community of Googong, which is slated to include 6,500 homes, alongside schools, parks, shops and businesses. Currently, the township boasts a population of 7,000, tipped to grow to 18,000 by the time of total completion.
Property developers behind the community, Peet and Mirvac, have tapped Queanbeyan publicans and owners of the Royal Hotel, Anthony and Sandy McDonald, to operate the venue.
Googong project director, Malcolm Leslie, envisions the hotel as a ‘destination pub’ for the area, with a wide offering for the whole community.
“The Googong Hotel will be a significant facility for the town and a major draw-card for the region. The new hotel will bring a community feel, by becoming a go-to local eatery, as well as a live music venue which reflects the events culture of Googong.”
“We are proud to have partnered with the owners of the Royal Hotel who have extensive expertise in creating exceptional venues that bring people together. The Googong Hotel is a prime example of this and will be an unmissable addition to the area,” Leslie continued.
Anthony McDonald also spoke glowingly about the prospect of operating in the new community.
“Our vision for the Googong Hotel is for it to become an integral part of the region, where patrons can come and enjoy the delicious food, drinks and entertainment, but also become a part of the social fabric of Googong,” said Anthony McDonald.
“We envision the new hotel will serve as an anchor for the Googong Town Centre, attracting visitors from the surrounding areas, who will all enjoy a vibrant experience when they visit the new hotel.”
The venue’s design and logo (produced by Canberra agency, Fresh Creative) is designed to reflect the history and landscape of the local area. The Googong Hotel Logo contains five interlocking circles that align with the five Indigenous groups that hold custodial connections to the region.
The pub will occupy a plot on Googong Town Centre’s ‘Main Street’, Glenrock Drive, overlooking the Bunyip Park and lake. The pub design has been created by May + Russell Architects to incorporate aspects of these surroundings, with shared space between the interior and exterior parts of the pub.
The Googong Hotel is described as including ‘significant greenery, generous volumes of light, and raking timber ceilings’. On the second level, there are plans for a function room with capacity for 360 people.
Pending approvals, the pub is due to open in 2025. Construction is predicted to create 55 jobs, while the operational pub is set to support a further 40.