APPROVALS for the final stage of the Hunter Street mall redevelopment will be "expedited" over concerns the abandoned sites pose a safety risk, City of Newcastle council says.
Iris Capital is about to lodge plans for the third phase of its East End development. That phase covers the section bounded by Hunter, Newcomen, King and Laing Streets and contains the former food court and retail spaces.
The council said it hoped to bring forward demolition after reported antisocial behavior in and around the buildings that both business owners and members of the public had reported to police, who are working with the council and increasing proactive patrols.
Executive director planning and environment Michelle Bisson said her team would assess the development application as a priority, including heritage considerations, and expected the application to be determined quickly.
Lord mayor Nuatali Nelmes said expediting the development consent was a step forward.
"Delivering the long overdue transformation in the Hunter Street Mall has been a vital project for city renewal," Cr Nelmes said.
"Through close collaboration with NSW Police and Iris Capital we identified that we have some public safety concerns in the final stages of the heritage revitalisation, so action is progressing on the demolition of the non-heritage buildings so the site can be adequately contained."
Iris Capital development manager Jamie Boswell said speedy demolition would prove "the best outcome for the community".
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