Cost blow-outs, bureaucracy and pandemics are par for the course when you take on a job as ambitious as the restoration of the former Newcastle Post Office.
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Add to that the pressure that comes with a vow to see through a project that plenty of others have only talked about or have tried and failed.
It's been three years since Jerry Schwartz picked up the dilapidated heritage jewel from the Awabakal Aboriginal Land Council for $3.5 million.
Despite the frustrations, challenges and pressures, his resolve for seeing through his vision for the 1903 building remains steadfast. And it needs to be, even for someone with his level of experience in multi-million dollar property projects.
"It's a labour of love," Dr Schwartz said while standing on thick crust of pigeon poo spread across the ground floor postal chamber.
"It's difficult to give a final prediction of the cost. I've probably spent $1.5million already. How much is it going to cost after this? Five million, anybody's guess. I'm certainly committed."
Schwartz's plan for the building is to create an indigenous cultural centre in the basement, wedding retail outlets on the ground floor and a first floor function centre.
Work to date has involved the painstaking removal of tonnes of asbestos and lead paint from building's mystifying network of halls and rooms.
A development application was approved in April, however, a construction certificate is required before work on the main project can get underway.
"We need quite a few reports, the most onerous one is the heritage report," Dr Schwartz, who has relocated to the Hunter due to the Sydney lockdown, said.
"We need to find a new local heritage consultant because the previous one retired.
"Secondly, heritage (assessment) people are not in a rush to do anything."
The original plan was to open the Aboriginal cultural centre, including a bush tucker cafe, towards the end of this year.
Dr Schwartz is now hopeful he will have permission to start work by the end of 2021.
"How long will it take to do the basement area? Before we can do the basement area we have to make the roof water-tight," he said.
"That's the first step then we will convert the basement area and see if we can put in a separate entrance from the street
"I would hope (the Aboriginal cultural centre will be open) by mid next year."
But there is also the need to restore income from the Dr Schwartz's hotel network, which is helping to fund the project.
"Unfortunately that sector has been the hardest hit in Australia during COVID-19 and therefore I need excess cash flow from the hospitality industry to pay for the works that we plan to do here.
"We hope that the financial difficulties of COVID will be solved by the beginning of next year, which will enable me to start doing the works here."
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It's time to visit the Hunter Valley: Schwartz
Jerry Schwartz's is normally the toast of the country's tourism accommodation sector - expect in the midst of a pandemic lockdown.
His network of hotels, which include Crowne Plaza Hunter Valley, has virtually ground to halt.
"Our hotels in Sydney have virtually zero occupancy. The occupancy in hotels that are not locked down have also been dramatically affected," Dr Schwartz said.
He has appealed to Lower Hunter residents to take a trip up the valley to support dozens of regional tourism operators.
"Leisure coming out of the Hunter Region is much reduced because people feel like they need to stay home," Dr Schwartz said.
"I would suggest coming to the Hunter Valley would be a fabulous break."
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