News of a $1 million cash injection for a major overhaul of Maitland District Leagues Club is great news for the city on two fronts.
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On one hand, it’s another sign of a bright future for the CBD.
On the other, it ensures that Maitland’s rugby league identity doesn’t wither and die.
Tabcorp Gaming Solutions signed a contract with the cash-strapped club on Friday after the companies began negotiations last September.
The deal means that TGS, a subsidiary of Tabcorp, has bought the club’s gaming floor and, in return, will spend more than $1 million, turning the club into a state-of-the-art entertainment hub complete with a new restaurant, bar, coffee shop, gaming area and sports bar.
Cub chairman Neil Martin told the Mercury on Monday that the renovations, which were expected to begin within weeks, had come at an opportune time given Maitland City Council’s efforts to turn High Street into a vibrant shopping, dining and leisure precinct.
It’s easy to see that momentum is gathering for the city centre’s revitalisation when you combine today’s news with confirmation earlier this month that a property developer wants transform the old Pullins building, which is also in The Levee, into a six-storey hotel.
If Maitland Leagues had merged with another entity, as was considered before the TGS deal came forward, it could have compromised the club’s identity.
But the deal between with TGS means that the club’s board will remain in control of its own destiny.
In a city like Maitland, which is a rugby league town at heart with a proud history on the field, that can only be a good thing.
