THE bank vault will be retained and the entrance will be moved around the corner.
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Those are two of the details in the design for the proposed redevelopment of the former NAB building on the corner of Church and William streets.
Having bought the building in mid-2023, Skillset has now unveiled its plans for the landmark corner block as the organisation lodges its development application with Bathurst Regional Council.
The apprentice, trainee and recruitment organisation's DA details the internal and external designs for the proposed renovations and the next step will be a tender process to select a builder.
"Our intent from our proposed design is to give the building a new lease of life, help it fit in better with the surrounding buildings built in the mid- to late-19th century and early 20th century and, wherever possible, respect and reinstate its original design features, style and character," Skillset CEO Narelle Stocks said.
She said the building was constructed for the Commercial Bank of Sydney in the 1950s and was designed by Bathurst architect Douglas Trevor-Jones.
The design was modern and innovative for its time, and is included in the Register of Significant Architecture (Australian Institute of Architects) as an example of post-war "internationalism" style that emerged in the 1920s and 1930s, according to Ms Stocks.
Over the years, however, many of the original external materials have been concealed or altered.
Ms Stocks said Skillset, with the support of local architects Havenhand and Mather, who have developed the proposed design, intends to reinstate the original design qualities as far as possible, under an "adaptive reuse" approach.
The proposal is to redesign the building internally so that it can be a head office for 35 Skillset staff.
"The design is created in a way that staff will be located on the top floor, but on the ground level there will be a range of professional suites, boardrooms, meeting rooms, training rooms for local businesses and business-people to utilise," Ms Stocks said.
"So we're hoping that it will be a real sort of business hub."
Ms Stocks said the building's bank vault will be retained and will be used in the design, while the building entrance, under the redevelopment, will be moved around the corner to Church Street.
While the DA still has to be considered by council, Ms Stocks said the next step would be to contract for a builder.
"And we will be looking to local builders and hoping that it can generate business for other local trades in the community," she said.
She said Skillset would be putting an emphasis on how the redevelopment project "might be able to also support apprenticeships and traineeships".
Subject to relevant approvals, Skillset is hoping its staff can relocate from their current location on Havannah Street in early 2025.
Ms Stocks said Skillset Senior College will then be able to occupy the full Flannery Centre Havannah Street site from the start of the new school year "and that will expand the supports that they provide to local students".
"And there is a real need for that at the moment," she said.