Plans to spend nearly two million to reactivate the Old Courthouse precinct in Armidale have entered the public exhibition stage, with a development application now lodged for a new pedestrian walkway, café space, and recreation area linking Moore Street and Central Mall.
The proposal, titled Old Armidale Courthouse Walkway, includes alterations to the Sheriff’s Office building, a change of use of part of the building to a café, landscaping works, and the creation of a recreation space. The estimated development cost is $1,948,000, with the public exhibition and submission period closing on 11 March 2026.
If approved, the project would reopen a dormant pedestrian link through the heritage precinct while introducing new activity to a site that has remained largely underutilised for years.
Mayor Sam Coupland said community feedback has already shown strong support for revitalising the area.
“This project responds to strong community support for reactivating the Old Court House precinct and improving connections within the CBD, with 91 per cent of submissions supporting the concept plans,” he said.
The proposal aims to reopen an important pedestrian link between Moore Street and Central Mall and bring renewed activity to a long underutilised civic space.
“Importantly, the proposal is progressing through a full statutory approvals process to ensure activation outcomes are delivered appropriately and responsibly,” Mayor Coupland said.
Council said feedback gathered during earlier consultation demonstrated broad community acceptance of introducing activation uses at the heritage site, with most respondents indicating they were comfortable with either concept option or a combination of both.
Rather than locking in a specific commercial outcome, Council’s approach is focused on enabling appropriate activation. Any café or recreational use will still be subject to development approval, specialist heritage assessment, and Heritage NSW sign-off to ensure the proposal is compatible with the site’s heritage significance.
Mayor Coupland said the anticipated benefits extend beyond visual improvements.
“The community has clearly identified social benefits such as improved safety, amenity and civic pride through increased use of the precinct,” he said.
“Economically, better pedestrian connectivity and increased foot traffic are expected to support surrounding businesses and contribute to CBD vitality. These benefits will only be realised if the proposal satisfies all statutory planning and heritage requirements.”
Heritage protection remains a central consideration of the application. The development application is classified as an Integrated Development and has been referred to Heritage NSW. Council has also commissioned a Heritage Impact Assessment and, at the request of Heritage NSW, an archaeological assessment.
These expert studies will guide the final outcome, ensuring any adaptive reuse of the Sheriff’s Office building protects heritage values, minimises physical intervention, and aligns with the site’s Conservation Management Plan.
Council says this careful, staged approach reflects its broader vision for the precinct and is designed to balance community activation with conservation responsibilities.
“The project aligns with Council’s long-term vision to see the Old Court House precinct re-established as an active civic and community space rather than remaining vacant,” Mayor Coupland said.
“This is a first carefully considered step, progressed through a robust statutory approval pathway, to build community confidence while ensuring heritage protection and agency endorsement before further activation occurs.”
Community members are encouraged to review the development application and lodge submissions before the exhibition period closes on 11 March. Council says all feedback will be considered as part of the formal assessment process.
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