The federation-style heritage building, formerly called Lee Wharf A, now The Wharf, was used to store and display pieces of the Newcastle Maritime Museum Society's collection.

On Thursday, Hunter and Central Coast Development Corporation described the former Maritime Museum in the heart of Honeysuckle as providing "a great opportunity to create a landmark harbour-side offering"

"HCCDC is seeking a tenant that can provide an attractive proposal that will create a drawcard for the area and complement other businesses within the Honeysuckle precinct," HCCDC Acting Chief Executive Valentina Misevska said.

"It isn't often that you open up an opportunity for an operator to lease a beautiful harbour-side heritage building with a north-facing waterfront deck overlooking a working harbour - I really expect the market to be excited by this."

HCCDC said in a statement it and the NSW Government had "made significant investment in not only retaining the building's heritage but also ensuring it will stand the test of time".

Repairs have been made to the building's foundations and harbour seawalls, and the original wharf deck has been reinstated, ensuring that the building will be enjoyed by the community well into the future.

"The right tenant has the potential to not only create something unique, but also a new tourist destination for Newcastle," Ms Misevska said.

The Wharf was built in 1910 in the federation style and features high ceilings with exposed timber beams. It boasts a rich history, with uses including an immigration centre and a storage shed for wool bales.