If you haven’t heard the word on the street, a brand-new boutique hotel, restaurant, day spa, outdoor cinema, pool and bar, will be coming to Canberra – and all in the one collective spot. It’s no secret that Lonsdale Street has greatly improved the ‘coolness’ of our little capital over the last few years. Now, Nik Bulum, the developer behind the quirky spaces we all know and love, will be redeveloping the old Canberra City Bowling Club in Ainslie to create an exciting new ‘village within a suburb’.
Nik purchased the old bowling grounds in June this year and plans to start development in late 2017, teaming up with Joelle Bou-Jaoude and Sascha Brodbeck of local street food institution, Brod Burger.
The two-storey boutique hotel will feature a function space holding up to 600 people and a public outdoor area with a pool, bar and private cabanas for hire. The current bowling greens will be transformed into an alfresco eating area with an outdoor cinema, so you can relax with your family and friends under the stars.
Nik also plans to introduce a classic milk bar serving jaffles and milkshakes, perfect for the kids of Ainslie Primary School to grab a snack with their parents once the bell rings.
We know what you’re thinking. How will I ever choose between Bonkers and the Hamlet? Well, don’t worry! The Hamlet, with all of its incredible street food, will be relocating to Bonkers with even more food vendors for you to choose from.
Despite some controversy over the development, Nik plans to consult the community during the process of redeveloping the bowling grounds, and hear everyone’s concerns. He aims to create a development that the whole community can enjoy in the future.
In the meantime, he and the Brod Burger team will be kicking off something a little more temporary, to give us all a taste of what’s to come. Aiming for a daggy, fun and non-pretentious feel, they’ll be serving all those great old-school classics from the 80s. Think Chiko rolls and cheesy mac. So keep an eye out for this new pop-up style eatery coming soon!
